In a leap towards global innovation, iFlytek, a pioneer in China’s artificial intelligence landscape, has unfurled a five-year, HK$400 million (US$51.2 million) investment plan in Hong Kong. The company, renowned for its cutting-edge voice-recognition technology, has planted its international headquarters in the heart of Cyberport, the city’s government-backed tech hub. This move signifies not just an expansion but a new era of AI-driven advancements and collaborations.
Within the sleek new offices of Cyberport, iFlytek and its subsidiary, Xunfei Healthcare, are poised to spearhead an ambitious venture. The investment will fuel the development of a formidable 150-member research and development team, focused on large language models (LLMs) and AI applications across speech, education, and healthcare. With the Spark LLM and voice-recognition tools in their arsenal, iFlytek aims to revolutionize local enterprise and consumer markets.
The integration of iFlytek’s technology into Hong Kong’s Legislative Council meetings is a testament to its practical impact. As iFlytek sets its sights on the Middle East and Southeast Asia, Hong Kong becomes the launch pad for its intelligent education hardware and services. This strategic move aligns seamlessly with the city’s aspirations to emerge as a global tech innovation hub, reinforcing Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s vision of a cross-border science and technology hub by 2035.
Despite facing hurdles, such as being added to Washington’s trade blacklist in 2019, iFlytek remains undeterred. Its LLMs, trained on a domestically-developed platform with Huawei Technologies, underscore China’s pursuit of tech self-sufficiency. Cyberport’s evolving AI ecosystem, featuring a forthcoming supercomputing center, stands as a beacon of collaborative potential. As iFlytek embarks on this transformative journey, the synergy between Hong Kong’s dynamic tech scene and the company’s AI prowess promises a future brimming with innovation and possibility.
(Source: Shanghai Daily | SCMP)
