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With AI giants in the Western world, such as OpenAI, Google and Meta, stealing the spotlight by their development of generative AI, some big names in China have introduced their AI models over the past 18 months, according to a latest report by CNBC.
Though trying to keep a low profile, five tech conglomerates in China, including Alibaba, Baidu, ByteDance, Huawei and Tencent, have launched their AI models lately, adding a new dimension to the competitive landscape of the ongoing tech rivalry between China and the U.S. Here is a brief introduction of the major Chinese AI models developed by the country’s leading tech firms, based on the information compiled by CNBC and other media reports.
Alibaba: Tongyi Qianwen
In November, 2023, a report by pandaily notes that Alibaba Cloud released its AI model, Tongyi Qianwen 1.0 a few months ago, while the 2.0 version was introduced later in the same year. Another report by South China Morning Post states that as of May, Alibaba reports that its Tongyi Qianwen AI models, often referred to as Qwen, are utilized by more than 90,000 corporate clients across China.
CNBC notes that in terms of Qwen, the company has developed various versions tailored to different functions. For instance, one model specializes in generating content or solving math problems, while another handles audio inputs and provides text-based responses.
It is worth noting that as some Qwen models are open-sourced, developers are allowed to download and use them under certain restrictions, according to CNBC.
Baidu: ERNIE
As one of China’s leading internet companies, Baidu was among the first to introduce generative AI applications in the country. A report by The Verge notes that the Ernie chatbot was available for download in August, 2023, after the approval by the Chinese government.
CNBC reports that Baidu intends to compete with OpenAI’s ChatGPT with Ernie Bot, as the company claims the bot to have 300 million users.
According to CNBC, ahead of the launch of its “Turbo” version, which took place in late June, Baidu stated that its Ernie 4.0 offers capabilities comparable to OpenAI’s GPT-4. According to Baidu, this foundational model has advanced understanding and reasoning abilities.
Similar to other companies, Baidu is offering access to its AI model through its cloud computing services, CNBC says.
ByteDance: Doubao
TikTok parent company ByteDance, though entered the AI race later than competitors like Baidu and Alibaba, has surprised the market with its low-cost Doubao model, which was launched in May, 2024.
According to a report by technode, the model can process 2 million Chinese characters, equivalent to 1.25 million tokens, for just RMB 1 (USD 0.14). In comparison, OpenAI’s latest multimodal model, GPT-4o, costs USD 5 per million input tokens.
CNBC notes that Doubao has various capabilities, including voice generation and coding support for developers.
Huawei: Pangu
Introduced by Huawei in 2021 as the world’s largest pre-trained Chinese large language models (LLMs) with over 100 billion parameters, the Pangu models are now entering their fourth iteration, according to Counterpoint. In May, 2024, the latest Pangu models are said to boast 230 billion parameters.
Interesting enough, Huawei has adopted a different strategy from its competitors with its Pangu AI models, CNBC remarks. The tech giant focuses on developing industry-specific models tailored to sectors like government, finance, manufacturing, mining, and meteorology.
For instance, Huawei claims that its Pangu Meteorology Model can predict a typhoon’s trajectory 10 days in advance in just 10 seconds, a task that previously took four to five hours, according to CNBC.
Tencent: Hunyuan
Last year, Tencent introduced its foundational model, Hunyuan, which is accessible through Tencent’s cloud computing services.
According to CNBC, Tencent has highlighted Hunyuan’s strong Chinese language processing abilities and advanced logical reasoning, supporting features like image generation and text recognition. The model is designed for use across industries such as gaming, social media, and e-commerce.
As the operator of China’s largest messaging app, WeChat, Tencent launched an AI chatbot this year based on the Hunyuan model. The AI assistant, named Yuanbao, can access information and content from WeChat, setting it apart from competitors, CNBC notes.
Notably, China’s large language models, just like its rivals in the West, rely on the strong computing power of AI chips. A previous report by Reuters in November, 2023, states that Tencent is said to have stockpiled a substantial reserve of AI chips from NVIDIA, as the company prepares in advance to train its Hunyuan AI models for the following generations.
How far will the tech giants in China be able to push the boundaries of AI models? The answer may lie in the development of the country’s domestic chips, as the U.S. authority already banned the export to China of AI chips.
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(Photo credit: Baidu)
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On September 9, Indian tech blog PiunikaWeb cited a report from Tech & Leaks Zone, stating that rumors have hinting at Google’s preparation to exit Samsung Electronics’ wafer foundry business, Samsung Foundry, and switch to TSMC in 2025. The next two generations of Google’s custom Tensor processors are reportedly expected to use TSMC’s 3nm and 2nm processes, respectively.
As per the same report, Google’s Tensor G4 processor is being manufactured by Samsung Foundry using its 4nm process. However, the G4 offers only a slight upgrade compared to the Tensor G3 in the Pixel 8 smartphone, as the G4 continues to use Samsung’s older FO-PLP packaging technology instead of the newer FO-WLP packaging, which is more capable in preventing overheating.
On the other hand, Google’s Tensor G5, which will be used in the Pixel 10, is reportedly set to be manufactured by TSMC using the latest 3nm process and TSMC’s advanced InFO-POP packaging technology. The Tensor G6, which will support the Pixel 11 series, will also be produced by TSMC using 2nm process.
Notably, Apple had introduced an AI technical document in June, disclosed that two AI models supporting “Apple Intelligence” were trained in the cloud using Google’s custom-designed Tensor Processing Unit (TPU).
Per Google’s official website, the cost of using its most advanced TPU can be less than USD 2 per hour if reserved three years in advance. Google first introduced the TPU in 2015 for internal use, and it became available to the public in 2017.
Additionally, per a report from wccftech, Google’s ARM-based TPU v5p “Axion,” designed specifically for data centers, is also rumored to be manufactured using TSMC’s enhanced 3nm process, N3E.
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China has long been the preferred location for tech companies to establish their supply chains. However, in recent years, the decline in population dividends has led to rising labor costs, and the need for tech companies to mitigate the impact of geopolitical risks has prompted them to accelerate the relocation of supply chains out of China, with some shifting production capacity to Southeast Asia and South Asia.
Recently, as per a report from TechNews citing sources, it’s indicated that HP is considering moving more than half of its personal computer production away from China to countries like Thailand and Vietnam.
This move is primarily aimed at significantly reducing its reliance on China’s supply chain, as well as addressing global trade dynamics and the need to lower costs.
In addition to HP, several well-known tech companies are also shifting their supply chains to Southeast Asian and South Asian countries.
One notable example of supply chain relocation is Apple. Having long relied on China’s supply chain, Apple is now finding that the era of full dependence on China is coming to an end due to political and commercial pressures.
iPhone
As one of Apple’s most important products, iPhone has been a key focus in this shift.
Although supply chain diversification was always part of Apple’s strategy, the plan has been accelerated following a series of disruptions at Foxconn’s Zhengzhou plant during the pandemic. These events have compelled Apple to expedite its efforts to diversify its supply chain.
According to a report from Business Standard, since April of this year, Apple has assembled iPhones worth USD 14 billion in India, with 14% of iPhones now being manufactured there.
Rajeev Chandrasekhar, India’s former Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, also stated on the X platform that by 2028, it is estimated that up to 25% of iPhones will be made in India.
iPad
In addition to iPhone, Apple has also started shifting part of its iPad production to Vietnam. Foxconn is responsible for manufacturing iPads in Vietnam, where mass production and shipments are already underway.
MacBook
Similarly, the MacBook production line has been partially moved out of China and relocated to Vietnam, which is primarily produced by Quanta and Foxconn in their Vietnamese facilities.
Earlier rumors cited by Nikkei have suggested that Apple was considering shifting some of its production to Thailand as well. However, Thailand’s supply chain for key components is not yet fully developed, with many parts still reliant on imports from China.
The associated transportation costs and the risk of potential damage during transit have led Apple to prioritize setting up production lines in Vietnam first.
Nevertheless, Thailand’s strong electronics manufacturing infrastructure and cost advantages make it a potential future production site for Apple.
Google’s Pixel smartphones were originally manufactured in China, but in recent years, Google has followed the trend of moving its supply chain to Vietnam and India.
The reasons behind this shift are similar to those faced by Apple. With ongoing tensions between the U.S. and China, Google is prompted to diversify its smartphone supply chain. Additionally, the tech giant is keen to tap into India’s rapidly growing market.
Initially, Google had chosen Vietnam as the primary location for Pixel production. However, rumors suggest that due to issues with the local workforce—such as leaks of new products before their official launch and reports of employees selling products illegally—Google has decided to expand production to include India as another manufacturing hub this year.
Samsung has long been ahead of its competitors in producing its Galaxy smartphones in Vietnam, which has now become one of the company’s largest global smartphone manufacturing hubs. It’s reported by the Maeil Business Newspaper that about half of Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones are produced in Vietnam.
However, India remains a critical market for consumer electronics manufacturers, and Samsung has expanded its smartphone production facilities in the country. India has now become another major production base for the company.
In addition to smartphones, per another report from the Economic Times, Samsung also plans to expand its production of televisions and other home appliances in India.
Dell has already begun producing some of its laptops in India to serve the local market, gradually shifting part of its production from China to India. The transition is still ongoing, with some production processes yet to be fully relocated.
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On August 13, Google officially released the Pixel 9 series of smartphones, featuring Google’s latest self-developed Tensor G4 processor and advanced AI function supported by Gemini AI.
Google Pixel 9 series includes three full-screen smartphones: Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL, as well as a foldable smartphone, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
Both Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro are equipped with 6.3-inch screens, with the Pixel 9 Pro using a better LTPO screen; Pixel 9 Pro XL is fitted with a 6.8-inch screen; Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s internal screen size increased from 7.6 inches to 8 inches, and the external display screen size from 5.8 inches to 6.3 inches.
The base memory capacity of the new phones is up to 12GB, with the two Pro models and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold offering 16GB of memory.
It is learned that the Tensor G4 adopted in Google’s new phones is based on Samsung’s 4nm process (4LPP+), boasting a 3.1GHz Arm Cortex-X4 super core, three 2.6GHz Arm Cortex-A720 large cores, and four 1.92GHz Arm Cortex-A520 small cores.
Moreover, Tensor G4 is equipped with the new Samsung Exynos Modem 5400 baseband chip (Outside the processor), supporting 4G/5G, WiFi-7, Bluetooth 5.x, and satellite connectivity. The memory used is LPDDR5X, and media decoding supports formats such as H.264, H.265, VP9, and AV1.
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Google has accelerate its pace on the Pixel series, as the tech giant launched Google Pixel 9 on August 13th, which is two months ahead of its schedule.
Though the Tensor G4 processor in the model is manufactured with Samsung’s 4nm, according to a report citing sources by Commercial Times, Google is said to be switching to TSMC’s 3nm process with its next-generation Tensor G5, coupling with the foundry giant’s InFO-POP packaging.
Google’s Pixel 8 is said to be the first AI-centric smartphone, featuring a range of AI functionalities. Yet, Commercial Times’ report has indicated that, after years of close collaboration, Google will part ways with Samsung and have TSMC produce the Tensor G5 chip.
The chip is also said to adopt TSMC’s advanced InFO-POP packaging. Google’s move, according to the report, demonstrates its ambition to expand its leadership in software to hardware, as it eyes for the opportunities of edge AI.
Industry sources cited by the report further point out that in the fourth quarter, both Qualcomm and MediaTek will launch flagship-level chips, while Apple’s A18 will also be produced using TSMC’s N3 process.
All these developments have hinted at tech giants’ ambition on the massive potential of the edge AI market. Now, Google would be the latest competitor to join the race.
Meanwhile, though Pixel’s market share is relatively low, the Android ecosystem, with its 70% market share in smartphones and billions of users, offers significant potential. Google is said to be following a path similar to Apple’s, achieving complete integration of hardware and software to maximize this potential.
Google’s self-developed chip extends beyond mobile devices, with its TPU (Tensor Processing Unit) now in their seventh generation. Additionally, Google’s Arm-based CPUs are being developed in partnership with TSMC.
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