Policymakers have called for accelerating the digital transformation of traditional industries. How does digitalisation help them upgrade, and which industries can intelligent computing push forward? At the 2021 China Computer Federation conference, 600-plus experts and entrepreneurs from home and abroad presented and debated under the theme ‘computing empowers faster digital transformation’.
Transformation in support of quality growth
Carbon peaking and neutrality dominated the year’s agenda, and speakers showed how digitalisation supports clean, low-carbon upgrading. Academician Chen Weijiang used the power system as an example: big data on charging orders from internet-of-vehicles platforms can support differentiated off-peak electricity pricing, guiding EV owners to charge in valleys and improving charging economics.
Experts agreed that digital transformation is the necessary path for enterprises moving toward specialised, refined, distinctive and innovative profiles. Digital decision-making sorts scrap steel more accurately; digital management monitors and treats urban water use; digital systems streamline advertising design. Building unified models and standards matters most in this upgrading, Chen noted.
Intelligence: building a new computing network
AI is already in every household – face recognition for clocking in, smart speakers that chat. In more specialised scenes it matters even more: full real-time monitoring and data analysis of urban traffic and factories for systematic optimisation, safety and efficiency; and bridges between computing and art, from AI composition to music information retrieval and music therapy.
Networked computing power should push AI applications faster still. ‘We already have power networks, telecom networks and high-speed rail networks; as AI computing centres come online across the country, an AI computing network is the next step,’ said Xiong Yan of Huawei’s computing product line.
Open source: seizing the future
Open source has shaped information technology for nearly 40 years. National planning calls for supporting open-source communities and improving open-source intellectual property and legal systems. ‘Open source advances every aspect of digital transformation,’ said Zhao Chen, director of the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Software – coordination through open source accelerates digital infrastructure.
Does large-scale open-source use carry risks? Peking University professor Zhou Minghui sees two for the ecosystem, though not for individuals: security risks in upstream open-source software, and intellectual property risks. Bao Yungang, deputy director of the CAS Institute of Computing Technology, noted that domestic researchers are investing more in open source – seizing the opportunity while minimising the risks.
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