Liu Qingfeng, chairman and CEO of iFlytek. [Photo/IC]

Liu Qingfeng, the chairman of Hefei-based speech tech firm iFlytek, urged greater attention on artificial intelligence (AI) innovation during the two sessions in Beijing.

"Twenty years ago, the intelligent speech market was almost monopolized by foreign giants. Now, we have already taken back 70 percent of the major market of Chinese speech." Liu said that 2019 will be the year to see the value of AI industry realized and large-scale application is on track.

"China should seize current development opportunity to take the lead in the worldwide high-tech industrial reform." 

To implement national AI strategies, Liu suggests the government to speed up the construction of AI infrastructure and promote technical innovation. 

In addition, he said to facilitate the development of AI industry, the government also should provide strong support to cultivate more high-caliber personnel for deeper research in AI technology.