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Baidu expands AI across multiple industries - Chinadaily.com.cn
Chinese tech heavyweight Baidu Inc has updated its enterprise-level large language model platform Qianfan, which covers more than 400 application scenarios, including finance, manufacturing, energy, government affairs and transportation.Robin Li, co-founder and CEO of Baidu, said Baidu aims to build the fundamental capabilities of LLM, and support the development of AI-native applications. Li made the remarks at the 2023 Baidu Cloud Intelligence Conference, which was held on Tuesday in Beijing.Li said the company will launch its latest version of its LLM Ernie 4.0 soon. Last week, Baidu opened its ChatGPT-like LLM Ernie Bot to the public after receiving approval from Chinese authorities.Baidu rolled out its one-stop enterprise-centered LLM platform Qianfan in March, where users can directly use Ernie Bot's services, as well as develop, train and deploy own LLM services.Shen Dou, executive vice-president of Baidu, said the Qianfan platform will greatly lower the threshold for the use of LLMs, and allow enterprises to use AI more quickly and efficiently.The company has unveiled its industrial solutions based on the Qianfan LLM platform. For example, in the financial sector, Baidu's industry-specific LLM can efficiently process masses of information and data, and provide insights about the finance industry, which will further help banks and other financial institutions to reduce costs and increase efficiency.LLMs refer to computer algorithms that are trained with huge amounts of data and are capable of generating content such as images, text, audio and video. They are the key technology underpinning ChatGPT, an AI chatbot that many experts see as a potential game-changer in the world of high-tech.A report from global consultancy McKinsey & Co said that generative AI will add between $2.6 trillion (18.9 trillion yuan) and $4.4 trillion in annual value to the global economy, resulting in a significant impact across all sectors of industry.Banking, high technology and life sciences are among the industries that could see the biggest impact as a percentage of their revenues from generative AI.
10 Rising AI Startups in Japan 2026: Sakana AI Leads Surge in ...
TOKYO — Japan's artificial intelligence sector is gaining momentum in 2026, fueled by government initiatives, corporate partnerships and a new generation of startups blending deep technical expertise with practical applications in manufacturing, healthcare, robotics and generative models.While Japan has long excelled in robotics and industrial automation, the country is now accelerating in foundation models and applied AI to address labor shortages, an aging population and global competitiveness. Major investments, including Microsoft's $10 billion commitment to AI infrastructure through 2029, alongside domestic efforts, are boosting the ecosystem. Tokyo remains the epicenter, home to most emerging players. 10 Rising AI Startups in Japan 2026: Sakana AI Leads Surge in Generative Models and Robotics Boom Here are 10 rising AI companies in Japan making significant strides in 2026, selected for their innovation, recent funding and potential impact:Sakana AI has emerged as Japan's brightest AI star. Founded in 2023 by former Google researchers David Ha and Llion Jones, the Tokyo-based company develops novel generative AI models using evolutionary "AI breeding" techniques that combine and evolve existing models for specialized tasks. Sakana achieved unicorn status with a roughly $2 billion valuation after raising hundreds of millions, backed by NVIDIA, Khosla Ventures and others. Its work on efficient, culturally attuned models for Japanese language and industry applications has drawn global attention, including partnerships with major banks like MUFG.Preferred Networks (and its subsidiaries like Preferred Robotics) continues as a deep learning powerhouse. The company, founded in 2014, applies advanced machine learning to robotics, autonomous systems, materials discovery and industrial optimization. It has raised over $100 million across rounds and collaborates closely with Toyota and other manufacturers. Preferred Robotics develops intelligent service robots for logistics and healthcare, helping ease Japan's labor crunch. Its Matlantis platform accelerates catalyst and battery material research using AI simulation.ABEJA specializes in computer vision and behavioral analytics for retail and physical spaces. The firm turns in-store data into actionable insights, optimizing layouts, merchandising and customer experiences. With strong enterprise adoption, ABEJA exemplifies Japan's strength in applying AI to traditional industries like retail and manufacturing. I...
Qualcomm Launches $15K Edge AI Programme for Asian Startups in 2026
Qualcomm Technologies has officially launched the Qualcomm AI Program for Innovators (QAIPI) 2026 — APAC, an edge AI startup incubation programme supporting founders in Japan, Singapore, and South Korea with up to $15,000 in grants.
Naver retires related searches as AI-driven features reshape Korea ...
Naver retires related searches as AI-driven features reshape Korea search NAVER said on the 7th it will end its related searches service after about
