Pandaily Digest | Feb 22, 2023
Editor's note: China’s C9 League member Fudan University released MOSS, the first large-scale conversational language model from China. This announcement comes amid the current popularity of ChatGPT.
China’s First ChatGPT-Like Chatbot MOSS Released For Public Testing
On February 20, China’s C9 League member Fudan University released MOSS, the first large-scale conversational language model from China. It shares its name with the computer that controls the space station in the popular Chinese sci-fi film The Wandering Earth 2. This announcement comes amid the current popularity of ChatGPT, a chatbot developed by OpenAI. Link
Headlines from China
Esports Startup VSPO Obtains $265M Investment, A Record High
VSPO, a Chinese esports startup specializing in tournaments, venues and production, has obtained a 1.8 billion yuan cash ($265 million) investment from Saudi Arabia’s Savvy Games Group, setting a record for cash investment in the esports industry and the sports industry as a whole in the last two years in China. Link
Actual Controller of Roborock to Reduce Holdings by Less Than 2%
Roborock, a publicly traded robot vacuum company in China, announced on February 21 that Chang Jing, the actual controller, founder, chairman and general manager, plans to reduce his shares by less than 2%. Link
Xiaomi’s Auto Business Loses Its Head of Marketing
Zhou Xing, the marketing director of Xiaomi Auto, had departed from the car-making division of the Chinese smartphone company several weeks ago, local media outlet Unicorn Excavator reported on February 21. Link
Huawei Executive Defends Automobile Business Strategy
Recent rumors about Huawei’s expansion into the smart car industry, including alleged severed partnerships and plans for factory construction, have once again cast the Chinese tech giant’s most concerned business segment into the spotlight. Link
Hong Kong Plans to Allow Retail Investors to Trade Cryptocurrencies
On February 20, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) proposed new rules that would let retail investors trade certain “large-cap” cryptocurrencies on licensed exchanges. This move comes in contrast to mainland China’s strict crackdown on crypto trading. Link
Geely-Backed Low-Carbon Methanol Plant Put into Operation
The world’s first 100,000-ton low-carbon green methanol plant developed by Chinese automaker Geely and resource company Henan Shuncheng Group was officially put into operation on February 21. Link
AI Startup West Lake Xinchen Searches for CEO to Build Chinese Version of OpenAI
On February 20, Danny Lan, founder of West Lake Xinchen, an AI service enterprise, denied rumors that the company was considering acquisition by Wang Huiwen, the billionaire co-founder of Chinese takeout giant Meituan. Link
Xiaoice’s ChatGPT-Like App Starts Internal Testing
Xiaoice Company, Microsoft’s independent R&D team of AI products based in China, started the internal testing of its ChatGPT-like application “X-CoTA” on February 21. Link
NBA China and Ant Group Partners to Create Original Online Content on Alipay
On February 21, NBA China and Chinese fintech firm Ant Group announced a strategic partnership to create original online content and customized experiences for fans on Alipay, a leading digital wallet platform in China. This project marks the first time that fans in China will have access to NBA video content on Alipay. Link
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