National AI innovation pilot area launched in Jinan

The Jinan-Qingdao Artificial Intelligence Innovation Development Pilot Area was unveiled at the World Artificial Intelligence Integration and Development Conference on Nov 19.

The pilot area was approved by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on Oct 14 and will become the second national AI innovation area after the area in Shanghai.

Jinan, capital of Shandong province, signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Qingdao to promote the construction of the AI innovation pilot area.

The two sides will leverage their strong manufacturing industries and big data resources to promote the application of cutting-edge AI technologies in the fields of manufacturing, medicine, housing, and transportation.

Official data show that the scale of China's AI market in 2018 was approximately 23.82 billion yuan ($3.44 billion), with a growth rate of 56.6 percent. The total value of AI applications is expected to reach $127 billion by 2020.