Influential experts and scholars talk about AI in Hefei on April 6. [Photo/gxq.hefei.gov.cn]

The AI (artificial intelligence) Foundation Model Development Forum & the fifth International Intelligent Speech and Artificial Intelligence Product Innovation Competition were held in Hefei, capital of East China's Anhui province, on April 6.

During the meeting, Anhui IT Industry Investment & Holdings cosigned cooperation agreements with representatives of the award winners of the competition as well as representatives of 15 enterprises who opened businesses in the Hefei National High-tech Industry Development Zone, which is home to the China Speech Valley, the first national AI industrial park. The valley is also known as the Quantum Center for its pioneering quantum technology industry.

The signed agreements include intelligent manufacturing, next-generation information technology and smart healthcare, industry, home, rescue and environment projects.

More than 200 government officials, industry leaders and business executives committed to promoting the R&D and industrialization of intelligent speech and AI attended the meeting and discussed the future development of AI.

Zhang Yitian, technical director of the AI Institute of the National Industrial Information Security Development Research Center, said that accelerating the development of new-generation AI is an important strategic starting point for China to compete globally in science and technology.

By the end of 2022, a total of 2,005 enterprises had settled in China Speech Valley, with a combined annual output value of about 205 billion yuan ($29.8 billion).