- Baidu's chief says technological advancements can spur the
gradual restoration of humanity to become a low-carbon society
- The importance of AI extends beyond economic growth, its true
contribution towards society is the creation of social value
- Baidu to expand its Apollo Go robotaxi ride-hailing services
and roll out new species robo-vehicle in the next two to three
years
SHANGHAI, July 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Robin Li, the
Co-founder and CEO of Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU and HKEX:9888),
today said that AI will undoubtedly become the transformative force
revolutionizing future human development over the next 40 years
during his keynote speech at the annual World Artificial
Intelligence Conference (WAIC). Li highlighted that the intelligent
transformation ushered by AI towards industries and societies is to
ultimately fulfil the needs of people, proclaiming that technology
is meaningful only if it serves humanity through the creation of
more value and contributing towards society.
In light of this year's WAIC theme, "Intelligent Connectivity,
Inspirational Cities", Li contended that the value of AI to human
society extends far beyond economic growth, stating his belief that
the social value of AI deeply correlates with the human desire for
a better life. The annual event was held at the Shanghai World Expo
Exhibition and Convention Center, aiming to promote the exchange of
global AI innovation and build a world-class industrial cluster of
AI.
"Baidu's approach towards AI technology has always revolved
around delivering equitable outcomes by making technology more
accessible, providing freedom and possibilities for all," Li
said.
Some parts of the world are facing an aging population issue;
China's elderly population is
slated to exceed 300 million residents, creating a new challenge
that will impact the country's economic growth, social security,
public services and more, Li said in his speech. In this regard, AI
solutions are proven to be highly dependable in providing health
monitoring, rehabilitation care, emergency aid, emotional support
and meal or transport assistance for elders.
Natural language processing (NLP), multi-modal interactive AI
assistant and computer vision capabilities have enabled Xiaodu –
Baidu's signature smart display product – to provide elders with
immediate assistance and virtual companionship around the clock,
improving their quality of life greatly while remotely reassuring
family members of their healthy and safety.
In Li's view, the application of AI technology is reshaping the
landscape of industries to become the transformative force
revolutionizing future human development over the next 40
years. Baidu's multi-faceted AI solutions are collectively
addressing the socio-economic and environmental challenges faced by
the modern world, to ultimately accomplish better living and
sustain high-quality development for all of mankind.
"Baidu has been preparing for many years to embrace this digital
revolution. Our advanced autonomous driving technology has
positioned us as a global leader of the smart transportation
industry. Not long ago, we launched Apollo
Moon, the newest generation of Baidu's robotaxis that aims
to create a fully autonomous ride-hailing service that will be more
affordable than existing vehicle-for-hire platforms. Baidu plans to
expand its robotaxi ride-hailing services across 30 cities in
China in two to three years to
serve a wider range of users. Baidu is also rapidly developing a
new intelligent vehicle, and we estimate that everyone will be able
to experience the arrival of new species, 'robo-vehicles', in two
to three years," he added.
Li also spoke about the impactful role Baidu Apollo has been
playing as many Chinese cities continue to construct world-class
intelligent traffic systems. Smart transportation solutions have
been shown to facilitate a 15% improvement in traffic efficiency,
which translates into a 2.4% GDP growth, demonstrating considerable
commercial value to society.
This increase in efficiency can also reduce carbon emissions and
curb the negative impact of climate change. By implementing smart
transportation systems through intelligent vehicles and roads,
Baidu is revolutionizing the industry by promoting safer and
greener travel, fostering a lower carbon lifestyle and creating
immense social value.
Owing to the rapid technological advancement in recent years, AI
can empower the gradual restoration of humanity to become a
low-carbon society. In line with its vision to facilitate the low
carbon transition in society for long-term sustainable development,
Baidu has announced its goal to achieve carbon neutrality in its
operations by 2030. After 2030, Baidu will collaborate with its
ecological partners to work towards becoming carbon negative,
joining hands to further China's
pledge to become carbon neutral by 2060 and to limit the global
warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
About Baidu
Founded in 2000, Baidu's mission is to make the complicated
world simpler through technology. Baidu is a leading AI company
with strong Internet foundation. Baidu is traded on the NASDAQ
Global Select Market under the symbol "BIDU", and on the main board
of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under the stock code "9888".
Currently, one ADS represents eight Class A ordinary shares.
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SOURCE Baidu, Inc.