Shaping a smart world

Artificial Intelligence by Kai-fu Lee and Wang Yonggang.[Photo provided to China Daily]

"The unemployment problem caused by the use of AI programs and robots won't be as serious as many have been worried," according to the book. "Simple jobs will be replaced, and new jobs will be created."

In another new book, Intelligence Revolution: Embracing the Societal, Economic and Cultural Changes in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, Li Yanhong, the founder of Baidu Inc, paints a similar picture but with more details. Published in April, the book is crammed with technological terms, company products and the Chinese tech company's AI vision.

It tries to tell those who are interested in the company how it will chart the course into the next big market, just as the book's title goes - "embracing the societal, economic and cultural changes in the age of artificial intelligence".

The company is one of the forerunners in AI research in China, and in his book, Li is urging the government to do deeper and wider AI research on a national level.

In his book, Li advocates using AI and big data to solve problems of child trafficking and traffic congestion, among other issues. He also made the proposal to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the country's top advisory body, during its annual session in March. He is a member of the CPPCC.