Jack Ma encourages more AI cooperation as Elon Musk says Tesla is close to L5 autonomous driving

Alibaba Group Holding founder Jack Ma said the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of artificial intelligence and digital technologies across a range of industries, including health care and farming.

“We human beings must not think too highly of ourselves,” said Ma as a projected hologram on stage at the opening ceremony of the three-day World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), which kicked off online on Thursday in Shanghai. “Many things are difficult for human beings, but it’s very easy for machines.”

“The big trends in digital technology have not changed,” said Ma. “But what would have taken about 30 to 50 years to digitise, has now been speeded up to between 10 and 20 years, a huge change as a result of the recent upheaval.”

Ma, who helped to ship medical supplies, such as face masks and ventilators, to more than 150 countries struggling to cope during the coronavirus outbreak, said the health crisis had forced people to innovate, and that AI had been used effectively to help doctors read CT scans more quickly and farmers to make better use of big data to monitor their crop yields.

Ma explained how Chinese technicians developed a machine powered by algorithms during the pandemic that was 60 times more efficient than a human doctor using their naked eye to detect suspected cases of Covid-19 via CT scans. He also described how farmers used remote satellite sensing technology and intelligent machines to help them interpret climate data and plan their rice farming more efficiently through an app on their smartphone.

In keeping with many other speakers at the event, Ma also stressed the need for people to set aside their differences and cooperate on AI and technology solutions, as the pandemic means we no longer have time to worry.