**Original Title: AI's Scenario Times: How Far Is Strong Artificial Intelligence?**
Reporter Yang Qingqing reports from Beijing.
In 2017, if you asked what the biggest change in the tech world was, the answer would likely be “artificial intelligence.†Whether it was the AI-related discussions at the two sessions or Baidu’s announcement of mass-producing L4 autonomous vehicles, or Tencent and Alibaba’s smart city initiatives, AI was everywhere. The government also recognized its importance, including AI in the 2017 State Council work report and launching the “New Generation of Artificial Intelligence Development Plan†in July, aiming to lead China into an AI-driven future by 2030.
Yet, for the general public, the impact of AI on daily life remained subtle. Smart speakers were available, but most people still drove manually, and voice navigation had errors. Despite claims of smarter cities, many found little difference in their daily routines. Drivers and passengers reported minimal changes in traffic flow or hospital visits, suggesting that AI’s real-world influence was still limited.
So, if AI is the future, how close are we to realizing it?
According to PricewaterhouseCoopers, by 2030, AI could add $15.7 trillion to global GDP, surpassing the combined economies of China and India. By 2035, it could boost global labor productivity by 40% and increase GDP by 14%. In line with these goals, China has launched national AI innovation platforms, including Baidu’s autonomous driving, Alibaba’s City Brain, Tencent’s medical imaging, and HKUST’s intelligent voice systems.
Alibaba’s ET City Brain, for example, has improved traffic in Hangzhou, reducing travel time by 15.3% and saving 4.6 minutes per trip. It also handles accidents with 92.3% accuracy. Meanwhile, smart voice technology is already widely used, with HKUST reporting over 4 billion daily interactions on its platform.
Baidu aims to launch its Apollo driverless micro-bus in 2018, targeting restricted areas like parks and airports. Tencent has introduced AI-based medical imaging tools, achieving high accuracy in detecting cancers and lung nodules. These developments show that AI is no longer just a concept—it's becoming a reality.
But which AI applications will drive the next wave of growth? According to CCID Consulting, hardware products dominated the AI market in 2017, followed by support layers and software. Voice recognition, customer service, and medical imaging are among the most mature fields.
Experts believe that AI-assisted healthcare and intelligent customer service are already showing promise. However, challenges remain, especially in areas like data privacy, ethical concerns, and technical limitations. For instance, while L4 autonomous vehicles are advancing, full commercialization is still years away due to complex regulatory and technical hurdles.
Despite the challenges, the AI industry continues to grow. From smart cities to self-driving cars, the path to a fully intelligent future is long, but the journey has already begun.
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