China Accelerates AI Approval Process: Over 40 Models Greenlit in 6 Months
In the first half-year since the initiation of the approval process, China has given the green light to over 40 artificial intelligence (AI) models for public use, as part of its concerted effort to narrow the gap with the U.S. in AI advancement. According to reports from Chinese media, the latest round of approvals includes 14 large language models (LLM), with recipients such as Xiaomi Corp, 4Paradigm, and 01.AI.
The regulatory framework in Beijing now mandates that tech companies obtain approval to make their LLMs accessible to the public, a requirement implemented since August of the previous year. This reflects China’s strategy to foster AI technology development while maintaining control and oversight.
The initial batch of AI models received approval in August, with industry giants like Baidu, Alibaba, and ByteDance among the first recipients. Subsequent approvals were granted in November and December, with the most recent batch announced this month. Although the government hasn’t disclosed the specific list of approved companies for public scrutiny, Securities Times reports that more than 40 AI models have been given the regulatory nod.
Chinese companies have been actively engaged in AI product development, spurred by the global impact of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in 2022. At that time, China possessed 130 LLMs, constituting 40% of the worldwide total, closely trailing the United States’ 50% market share, as per brokerage CLSA.
Highlighting China’s significant strides, one of its prominent ChatGPT-like chatbots, Baidu’s Ernie Bot, has attracted over 100 million users, as disclosed by the company’s Chief Technology Officer in December. The ongoing momentum suggests a dynamic landscape in China’s AI sector, with a clear emphasis on securing regulatory approval and achieving global competitiveness.
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