A technology research and development team at China’s Ant Group is developing its large language model, internally called Zhenyi, a spokesperson said on Wednesday, confirming reports in Chinese media. However, there was no further information on the public unveiling of the model. The announcement comes amid a surge of interest in AI systems that use natural language to communicate with users, a growing field as companies compete to develop systems to automate customer support and improve online search.
The development of AI models for human speech is the latest step in a long effort by Ant and others to make computers better at understanding what people mean when they speak. Using deep learning, an artificial intelligence technique, researchers have trained computers to recognize speech patterns and interpret the meaning of words in different contexts. This is a crucial step to help machines understand human languages and improve the speed with which they can respond to questions.
Ant’s effort is part of a more significant race among China’s internet giants to develop technologies outperform human language. This includes several Chinese startups, including Baidu and SenseTime, as well as the more prominent global players like Google and Microsoft Corp. Some companies are experimenting with “generative AI,” designed to create new content from poetry to art with only simple user inputs.
The work comes as China’s major tech firms try to restructure in response to a harsh regulatory crackdown that has shaken the industry and wiped out billions of dollars in market value. Chinese authorities have ordered financial-technology companies to operate more like banks, with rules and capital requirements that prevent them from posing a risk to the financial system or infringing on consumer data privacy.
In the case of Ant, regulators have required the company to clean up violations in its consumer lending business and prove it can handle the financial risks associated with its once-freewheeling businesses. That overhaul is expected to be completed this year, with Ant pursuing fundraisings or listings for most of its businesses.
According to experts, the approval of a $1.5 billion capital increase for Ant’s consumer lending unit last week is one of the most significant signs that China may be shifting gears in its approach to the country’s internet companies. The move will allow an arm of the Hangzhou city government to become Ant’s second-largest shareholder and overcome a critical hurdle that would have delayed the company’s plans to issue 500 billion yuan in consumer loans this year. The approval also hints that Beijing will likely ease its ban on foreign video games and other moves to encourage the growth of domestic technology companies. The changes could give investors hope that China’s heavy-handed crackdown is easing as its economy struggles to regain momentum.
