The world’s attention is fixed on frontier artificial intelligence (AI) models, but China’s robot-making factories deserve just as much attention. Chinese e-commerce company JD.com has predicted that robots would ultimately replace its 700,000 delivery workers, while workers at South Korean carmaker Hyundai are threatening strike action over issues including the roll-out of robots. These are early signs of what could be China’s next export shock. The first “China shock” was from its low-cost...
China has unveiled a road map to accelerate the development of its industrial internet, setting targets for the expansion of industry-oriented 5G networks and data systems as Beijing seeks to deepen the integration of frontier technologies into manufacturing and bolster the country’s industrial competitiveness. The plan, jointly issued on Tuesday by eight Chinese government agencies led by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, included targets for expanding industrial digital...