China calls for AI funding, policies to surpass US

Artificial intelligence has made its way on to the agenda of the government’s annual political show in Beijing, urged on by the country’s business and technology elites China’s government is preparing for a war of sorts with the United States to claim the vantage point to define the technological trend for the next generation. At the annual meeting of China’s parliament this week, the usual Communist Party agenda of economic growth, social welfare, jobs, health care and pension made way for an unusual addition: a clarion call by some of China’s most influential business and technology leaders for the government to set policies to define what they consider the Next Big Thing.

Schrute Bucks, Stanley Nickels And Bitcoins

There is a great episode of the American version of The Office in which Dwight Schrute, Assistant to the Regional Manager at Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch, creates an incentive program focused around “Schrute bucks”. An exchange with grumpy salesman Stanley Hudson follows: Dwight: Don’t you want to earn Schrute bucks? Stanley: No.

Baidu focuses on AI as founder Robin Li hires new management team

After a turbulent 2016, during which 12 per cent was wiped off Baidu Inc’s market value, founder Robin Li needs all the help he can get to put the dominant search engine operator in the world’s largest internet market back on track. During the past four weeks Li has rehired Melissa Ma, his wife and lifelong business partner, and poached at least three executives from Microsoft, Xiaomi and a Chinese local startup to join his senior management team, underscoring the company’s push to regain its traction after an advertising scandal in May destroyed consumer confidence and provoked a rare rebuke from the Chinese government.