SEEING the strides China has achieved in digitalization, international companies are optimistic about the country’s digital economy. This sentiment was evident at the just concluded 2023 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit, where global firms expressed a keen interest in seeking further cooperation. Next Generation Robotics, which specializes in robotic technology, showcased a new type of rolling stock inspection robot capable of performing autonomous safety inspections on rail cars. The robot is equipped with sophisticated computer vision algorithms that can automatically recognize a large number of important parts and faults, and perform automatic inspections to ensure the safety of the train, said CEO Antonio Frisoli. Currently, the robot has been patented and commercialized in the European market. Moving forward, this technology is poised to officially enter the Chinese market, according to Frisoli. China has made immense progress in digitalization over the past decade. In 2022, China’s digital economy had reached 50.2 trillion yuan (US$6.99 trillion), up from 11 trillion yuan in 2012. At the summit, numerous digital and high-tech enterprises conveyed their eagerness for digital cooperation with China. Artificial Intelligence (AI) was another highlighted sector during the summit. To address corporate needs for AI, watsonx, an AI and data platform developed by IBM, is offering firms quick AI training and deployment capabilities in cross-business scenarios. Arvind Krishna, chairman and CEO of IBM Corp., said China’s AI industry is thriving with many innovations. (Xinhua) | 