Kai-Fu Lee Archives - Don Kasprzak

AI 2041: Ten Visions for Our Future by Kai-Fu Lee and Chen Qiufan. Kai-Fu is a leading AI researcher. with a Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University. He landed at Apple in 1990 for a decade, then went to SGI.

Kai-Fu has previously served as the founding director of Microsoft Research Asia, then president of Google China, He departed to launch Sinovation Ventures, a venture capital firm in Beijing.

Over the course of my career I have grown rather confident that technology predications never really develop as projected. Hence, AI 2041 is no exception. While I do appreciate Chen’s writing skills, these predications are a real miss on the AI front.

In addition, each story begins with a brief note by Kai-Fu followed by Chen’s story. I must admit that I am certainly not really a fan of fiction, yet the detail writing by Chen is striking. Kai-Fu then closes each story with an accurate analysis of AI technologies key to the story.

Chapter Three: Twin Sparrows

Twin Sparrows, is certainly the best written chapter IMHO. The implementation of natural language processing, self-supervised training, and AI education made for a unique story, although straining at times.

AI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley, and the New World Order
by Kai-Fu Lee. He developed an advanced continuous speech recognition system during his Ph.D. work at Carnegie Mellon University in the early 1980s. He landed at Apple in 1990 for a decade, then went to SGI.

Since 2000 Kai-Fu served as the founding director of Microsoft Research Asia, then president of Google China, He departed to launch Sinovation Ventures, a venture capital firm in Beijing.

This book weaves in and out of AI technology developments. It is both surprising and disappointing. Many have certainly noted this is more or less propaganda for China. By the fourth chapter, I began wondering if Kai-Fu is considering a run for Chinese President.

Kai-Fu addresses in chapter 5, the four waves of AI: Internet AI, Business AI, Perception AI, and Autonomous AI. Elements of each wave appear even today, a bit far fetched for a democracy. However within a state controlled economy, China can force changes described across all four. With the US Population at 331 million compared to China’s 1.4 million, statements that China produces more data for AI system is certainly not a watershed thought. Certainly China will produce more data for AI systems than many country populations combined.

The AI shopping cart?

The idea of an AI enhanced shopping cart with a built-in LCD display and recognizes your shopping history upon touch, as you enter any Chinese local Yonghui superstore referenced in “Where every shopping cart knows your name” seems to still be a foreign concept across America’s grocery stores. Too many privacy concerns for the West. In addition, this was published prior to COVID. Today this idea certainly will be replaced by AI-enhanced mobile apps, or Internet AI as Kai-Fu is referencing above.