Chinese Tech

After Chinese regulators halted Ant Group’s IPO in 2020, Alibaba faced a tumultuous period marked by regulatory scrutiny and market capitalization loss. Jack Ma retreated from the public eye, and the company underwent restructuring. However, Alibaba quietly invested in AI, developing its own foundational models and open-source AI offerings. CEO Eddie Wu is now prioritizing “user first” and “AI-driven” strategies, aiming to position Alibaba as a key player in the AI race between the US and China.

Honor is developing a “robot phone” featuring an AI-connected camera mounted on a robotic arm that extends from the device. The company plans to showcase this innovation at Mobile World Congress. This project reflects a trend among Chinese tech firms to integrate AI and robotics into consumer devices. Honor’s $10 billion investment over five years aims to make it a leading AI-driven device company, offering AI-powered tools for personalized shopping, taxi hailing, and intelligent camera adjustments. This strategic focus aims to differentiate Honor in the competitive smartphone market.