Current Status of AI Industry Development and Market Competition Landscape in 2024
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In 2023, large-scale model technology sparked a global frenzy in the tech sector, with major tech giants heavily investing and engaging in fierce competition. This year, large-scale model technology not only redefined the boundaries of artificial intelligence but also drove technological innovation across industries.
The global AI computing market is expected to grow sharply from $19.5 billion in 2022 to $34.66 billion by 2026, with the generative AI market projected to reach $10.99 billion. Particularly in the Chinese market, the AI market size is expected to exceed $26.4 billion.
Large-scale model technology did not emerge in 2023, but it gained widespread public attention this year. This is largely due to the continuous iteration and improvement in the understanding, reasoning, and expressive capabilities of large models, which surprised people with their emergent intelligence.
Take OpenAI's ChatGPT as an example. Upon its release, it captured the attention of AI entrepreneurs worldwide, leading many to envision the arrival of the era of artificial general intelligence. Additionally, the rapid follow-up by investors and entrepreneurs accelerated the development of large-scale model technology, resulting in a proliferation of various large-scale model products. Users' awareness and understanding of AI large models have also been further enhanced.
With the continuous advancement of large-scale model technology and the expansion of its application scenarios, it is expected to play a significant role in more fields in the future. At the same time, the development of large-scale model technology will drive continuous innovation and progress in AI technology, bringing more surprises and transformations to humanity.
Current Status of AI Industry Development In the early hours of March 15, 2023, tech giant OpenAI released its latest AI model GPT-4, sparking widespread attention in the industry. Compared to its predecessor, GPT-4 shows significant performance improvements, particularly in handling mixed text and image inputs. The release further accelerated the global competition in large language models, reaffirming OpenAI's leading position.
With GPT-4's debut, China's tech sector has also witnessed an AI revolution. Numerous tech giants and startups have rushed into the research and application of large model technologies. Companies like BAT, 360, iFlytek, and SenseTime have successively launched their own large model products, each with unique features in performance and application scenarios. These enterprises share a clear goal: to seize the AI singularity moment and lead technological transformation.
The day after GPT-4's release, Baidu introduced China's first large language model "ERNIE Bot". Although its stock price initially dropped during the launch, capital showed cautious optimism about Baidu's large model technology amid OpenAI's new product impact. However, Baidu's stock quickly rebounded the next day, undoubtedly boosting confidence among domestic AI model developers.
Subsequently, 360 Group released version 1.0 of its 360 Zhinao large model, demonstrating practical applications in search scenarios. iFlytek also launched its Spark model, with Chairman Liu Qingfeng publicly stating ambitions to surpass ChatGPT by year-end.
In April, several other Chinese companies unveiled significant large models. Wang Xiaochuan's "Baichuan Intelligence", SenseTime's "SenseNova", Kunlun Tech's "Tiangong" 3.5, and Alibaba's "Tongyi Qianwen" all made their appearances. As another tech giant, Tencent may not have been the first to launch its own large model, but it has taken the lead in facilitating commercial applications of large models. During the Tencent Light Technology for Public Good Innovation Camp two years ago, Tencent became the first internet giant to support entrepreneurs in using AI large models to build public welfare projects.
This wave of AI large model entrepreneurship has attracted not only traditional tech giants but also many "star entrepreneurs." Wang Huiwen, co-founder of Meituan, successfully secured funding through the "AI Heroes List." Industry heavyweights such as Lee Kai-fu, CEO of Sinovation Ventures, former Sogou CEO Wang Xiaochuan, and former JD.com AI lead Zhou Bowen have also joined this AI innovation competition.
Domestic unlisted companies, higher education institutions, and research organizations are actively participating in this large model technological revolution. Major telecom operators, Evernote, Medlinker, and other companies have launched their own large model products. Institutions like Fudan University, Tsinghua University, Harbin Institute of Technology, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences have successively released their large models.
This AI large model entrepreneurial boom is not only driving continuous technological innovation and development but also accelerating technological advancements and the expansion of application scenarios across various industries. As large models become more widespread and applied, more businesses and individuals will benefit from this technological advancement.
AI Industry Market Competition Landscape
In 2022, the large language model (LLM) market reached $10.5 billion and is projected to grow to $40.8 billion by 2029, with a compound annual growth rate of 21.4%. This growth is fueled by tech giants continuously expanding AI application scenarios and practical implementations. Currently, both in international and domestic markets, various parties are actively exploring practical applications of AI technology, and the rapid development of artificial intelligence is astonishing.
On December 20, 2023, Microsoft took an important step in the field of music creation. By integrating Suno into Copilot AI, Microsoft can now convert text prompts into complete AI-generated music tracks, including lyrics, instruments, and vocals. This technology not only provides new creative methods for non-professional musicians but also offers inspiration and auxiliary tools for professional music producers, further advancing the development of music creation.
Meanwhile, Apple is not to be outdone. Its latest Human Gaussian Splats technology (abbreviated as 'Hugs') demonstrates how to extract 3D avatars from short 2D videos. This technology is expected to enhance the realism of video conferences, enrich virtual reality experiences, and create more lifelike characters in films and games. Imagine your digital avatar being able to convey emotions and personality, no longer stiff and emotionless.
Additionally, Runway's Gen-2 recently added a text-to-speech feature, bringing great convenience to content creators. This function can generate realistic narrations and dialogues, while its video aspect ratio adjustment feature offers unprecedented flexibility for video editing, adapting to various playback platforms and viewing devices. For example, travel bloggers can use this tool to quickly convert text into realistic narrations, significantly improving work efficiency.
Domestic AI Key Enterprises Chinese artificial intelligence enterprises can be divided into leading platform representative companies, active industry integration companies, and technical layer representative companies. Among them, leading platform representative companies include Alibaba, Baidu Group, and Tencent Holdings; active industry integration companies include ByteDance, Midea Group, and Xiaomi Group; technical layer representative companies include CloudWalk Technology, SenseTime, and TRS.
These technological advancements not only demonstrate the enormous potential of AI in various fields but also bring more convenience and innovation to people's lives and work. With the continuous development of AI technology and the expansion of application scenarios, we can expect to witness more astonishing achievements and innovations in the future.