The WAIC 2020 kicked off virtually on Thursday in Shanghai.

The theme of the conference is “Intelligent Connectivity, Indivisible Community.” Researchers, entrepreneurs, and officials from across the globe are discussing the emerging trends in artificial intelligence. (XINHUANET)

The event is being broadcast live on the Internet. About 200 guests will be available in person at the venue, and approximately 3,000 participants are participating digitally.

A world-first – a music video of an AI chorus – was also launched at the WAIC.

WAIC: Elon Musk promises level 5 autonomous driving technology

Here’s a video of Musk delivering a virtual speech for the opening of the WAIC:

Musk said Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) was very close to achieving level 5 autonomous driving technology – the ability of a vehicle to independently navigate roads without the need for input from a human driver.

“I’m extremely confident that level 5 or essentially complete autonomy will happen and I think will happen very quickly,” Musk said in the above video message at the opening of Shanghai’s annual World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC).

“I remain confident that we will have the basic functionality for level 5 autonomy complete this year.”

Virtual AI City of the future

Shanghai’s WAIC created an imaginary virtual AI city:

Quotable quotes

Here are some snippets from what eminent speakers said at the WAIC conference (ChinaDaily.cn)

Zhao Houlin, secretary-general of the International Telecommunications Union:

The combined applications of AI, 5G, IoT, big data, and more new technologies will advance the next round of technical innovation and application.

Jack Ma Yun, co-chairman of the United Nations High-Level Panel on Digital Cooperation and founder of Alibaba:

Humans cannot survive without the Earth, but the Earth can survive without humans… Mankind has huge rights, but nature can “lay us off” at any time…Mankind should learn to coexist with nature… The words we use, “artificial intelligence”, come from thinking too highly of mankind.

Ma Huateng, chairman and CEO of Tencent

Artificial intelligence per se is a cross-border and interdisciplinary exploration, making human abilities faster, higher, and stronger. It is destined to bring us unprecedented technologies and the industrial revolution.

Li Yanhong, co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Baidu

The LinearFold algorithm by Baidu can shorten the structure prediction for the secondary structure of the novel coronavirus’ whole genome from 55 minutes to 27 seconds, 120 times faster. It means we can formulate prevention and control measures more quickly, in addition to improving efficiency in developing vaccines.

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