Ant Group's Jing Xiandong: The Upcoming Large Model is Fully Stacked and Purely Self-Developed
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On September 7, at the 2023 Bund Summit, Ant Group Chairman and CEO Jing Xiandong revealed that the large model to be released on September 8 is fully stacked and purely self-developed.
Jing Xiandong stated that Ant Group regards technology as its core competitiveness, the most important productivity, and the fundamental driving force for development. The company places high importance on large models and is fully committed to their development.
During the summit, Jing Xiandong participated in a roundtable discussion with Michael Sheren, Senior Advisor at the UNDP Sustainable Finance Center, Hongjiang Zhang, Advisor at the Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence and Foreign Member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, and veteran media personality Qin Shuo. They engaged in an in-depth discussion on artificial intelligence, digital technology and industrial transformation, and financial development.
Hongjiang Zhang mentioned that in January of this year, Fortune magazine described this as the 'iPhone moment' for artificial intelligence, which best captures the impact of this breakthrough in large models on the entire industry. After the release of the iPhone in 2007, we witnessed the golden 15 years of mobile internet, which brought about industrial transformation, revolution, and a series of new applications and platforms. We believe that large models will similarly usher in an era of industrial transformation in AI.
Jing Xiandong agreed with Zhang's viewpoint, quoting a line from the movie Oppenheimer: 'It's not a new weapon, but a new world.' He said the emergence of large models is 'not a new technology, but a new world.' He noted that the iPhone moment was not just about shifting from large screens to small screens but about enabling users to be 'always online' through small screens, thereby greatly enhancing the connection between people and services, and people and goods.
Jing Xiandong analyzed that breakthroughs in privacy computing enable the exchange of data value rather than the data itself, which is of immense significance. Ant Group has many commercialized products that ensure data is usable but not visible, computable but not identifiable. The company is heavily investing in this area, hoping that one day the cost of encrypted computing will be the same as plaintext computing, with even higher efficiency, leading to a true explosion of the data era.
Jing also discussed the application of blockchain technology in high-end equipment leasing, battery recycling, and other fields. He summarized that blockchain builds a set of intelligent IoT technologies and a three-dimensional, trustworthy data network, which forms the foundation for industrial collaboration. Combining blockchain technology with digital currency and smart contracts seamlessly links business flows and capital flows, greatly improving industrial efficiency through technological innovation. The value of digital currency for industrial internet is akin to the value of mobile payments for consumer internet.
Experts believe that the application of new technologies and scenarios such as AI, blockchain, and digital currency will create significant value in the real economy. Zhang Hongjiang stated that the combination of AI, blockchain, and digital currency will lead to a more automated, trustworthy, and efficient financial service system in the future. Michael Sheren pointed out that the interconnectivity of IoT and products themselves can enhance trust, and the application of new technologies can promote green financing, reduce financing costs, and help create a more sustainable world.
Jing Xiandong also mentioned that with the development of digital technology, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are becoming major participants in global trade. Cross-border e-commerce and Chinese exporters face many challenges in foreign exchange management and fund settlement when expanding overseas. In recent years, Ant Group has launched 'WorldFirst' to help SMEs use a single account to receive payments in multiple currencies across different global platforms, while also providing partial credit services. Thus, the application of digital technology can help SMEs participate more easily in global trade, promoting shared prosperity and inclusive development for small businesses worldwide.