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Artificial intelligence
TechTech Trends

How a former Google scientist is trying to ride the wave of China’s ChatGPT-led AI boom

  • Beijing-based Mobvoi is one of many Chinese start-ups that have jumped on the bandwagon of large language models this year
  • Founder Li Zhifei graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a doctorate in computer science before he joined Google in 2010

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Mobvoi last month launched its large language model called Xuliehouzi, which roughly translates as “Sequencing Monkey”. Photo: Handout
Tracy Quin Beijing

Former Google computer scientist Li Zhifei used to wake at 8am on weekdays, but often stayed in bed a bit longer for more sleep. Not any more. “Now I immediately get up and start working,” said Li, chief executive and founder of Mobvoi Information Technology.

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What gets Li out of bed earlier these days? China’s artificial intelligence (AI) start-ups received a shot in the arm after the explosion in popularity of generative AI technology led by ChatGPT. With no time to waste, Li is typical of the local tech entrepreneurs trying to ride the wave.

His decade-long journey running a start-up has not all been smooth sailing, but the popularity of generative AI has opened up new opportunities.

“In fact, I have been quite hard-working in the past five months,” Li said in a recent interview with the South China Morning Post.

Li graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a doctorate in computer science before he joined Google as a research scientist in May 2010. After leaving Google, he founded Mobvoi, an AI company focusing on advanced voice interaction and hardware-software integration, attracting funding from well-known investors such as Sequoia Capital and ZhenFund.

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