Time Magazine's AI List Recognises Chinese Tech Leaders
Time Magazine recognises Zhuang Rongwen and Liang Rubo among top AI influencers. ByteDance and Baichuan AI highlighted for AI advancements and funding success. Global tech leaders like Sundar Pichai and Mark Zuckerberg featured in Time 100 AI list.
Among the notable figures recognised are Zhuang Rongwen, the director of China's Cyberspace Administration, and Liang Rubo, the chairman and CEO of ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok.
Zhuang Rongwen has been acknowledged for his significant impact on the AI sector in China. He was commended for successfully navigating the challenge of integrating the mainland's censorship practices with innovative AI technology, a feat deemed by some as unachievable.
Under Zhuang's leadership, the Cyberspace Administration of China made history by introducing the world's first generative AI regulation. This milestone occurred shortly after the US-based startup OpenAI launched ChatGPT. The regulations mandate that companies obtain government approval before publicly releasing AI models.
Joining Zhuang on the list are Liang Rubo, the chairman and CEO of ByteDance, and Wang Xiaochuan, the founder of the AI startup Baichuan AI. ByteDance has prioritised AI development in recent years, introducing chatbots like Cici and Doubao, as well as the Jimeng AI video generator. Despite ByteDance's TikTok being scrutinised in the United States, Time Magazine predicts no change in the company's approach to AI applications.
In a recent incident, Liang expressed dissatisfaction with employees' slow response to emerging technologies like GenAI. He emphasised the importance of quickly adapting to technological advancements within the company.
Wang Xiaochuan's Baichuan AI, founded in April 2023, has emerged as one of China's most prominent AI startups. In July, the company closed a substantial funding round of approximately 5 billion yuan (US$687.6 million), valuing the company at more than 20 billion yuan. Major investors included tech behemoths Alibaba Group Holding, Tencent Holdings, Xiaomi, and state-backed funds.
Wang, the former CEO of Sogou, a well-known Chinese internet search engine, has also received recognition for his contributions to the AI sector. Tencent acquired Sogou in 2021, strengthening Wang's position in the tech industry.
Time Magazine also named prominent figures from tech giants such as Google, Microsoft, Nvidia, Meta Platforms, and OpenAI as AI leaders. Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, Jensen Huang, Mark Zuckerberg, and Sam Altman are among the industry leaders recognised for their global impact.
The list of distinguished individuals includes innovators, thinkers, and shapers, with Chinese computer scientist Andrew Yao Chi-chih recognised as one of the 23 thinkers. He shares this honour with American computer scientists Ray Kurzweil and Ilya Sutskever, a co-founder of OpenAI. Yao, a Turing Award recipient and the dean of Tsinghua University's Institute for Interdisciplinary Information Sciences, has been instrumental in developing a new generation of entrepreneurs and academics. Notably, his students have helped to establish some of China's most promising start-ups, including AI giant Megvii and autonomous vehicle company Pony.ai.
Additionally, law professor Zhang Linghan has been named one of the 37 shapers on the list. Zhang, a professor at the China University of Political Science and Law, made significant contributions to a preliminary draft of a comprehensive artificial intelligence law released in March. Addressing the legislative challenges, she emphasised the importance of striking a balance between AI development and safety requirements.
Last year's inaugural list included prominent figures such as Baidu co-founder and chairman Robin Li Yanhong, venture capitalist and founder of 01.AI Lee Kai-fu, and Chinese Academy of Sciences professor Yi Zeng.
Time Magazine recognises Zhuang Rongwen and Liang Rubo among top AI influencers
ByteDance and Baichuan AI highlighted for AI advancements and funding success
Global tech leaders like Sundar Pichai and Mark Zuckerberg featured in Time 100 AI list
Source: SCMP