Various cutting-edge technologies are available at the 2017 China International Big Data Expo in Guiyang, capital of Guizhou province in Southwest China.

Visitors can experience visual speech recognition technology that can recognize what people are saying by reading the shape of their mouths, facial recognition systems to help the police arrest suspects and home-made artificial robots that can present ceremonies.

The expo is hosted by the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Cyberspace Administration of China and the provincial government of Guizhou.

More than 300 enterprises will take part in the event, covering an exhibition area of 60,000 square meters. Six exhibition halls will cover a wide range of high-tech themes, creating an international big data communication platform for worldwide firms.

Seventy eight forums and 15 activities are planned during the event, covering topics related to the national big data pilot zone, digital economy, block chain, digital security and risk control, data sharing and opening, artificial intelligence and smart manufacturing.

Some of the event's highlights are in the artificial intelligence sector forums, one of them being the Artificial Intelligence & New Generation Information Technology Innovation Summit Forum.

At the summit to be held on May 27, industry experts will share the fundamental theories, technology updates and typical applications of the IT industry and AI fields, and will discuss the latest developments and future trends of the industry.

Several experts will attend the core forum, including Shen Changxiang and Tan Jianrong, academicians at the Chinese Academy of Engineering. Shen will give a speech on information industry safety.

Chen Min'er, Guizhou's provincial Party chief, said at a recent meeting that poverty alleviation, big data and environmental protection are the province's three "big strategies".

"We will further promote the big data strategy, using it to lead economic transformation and upgrades, to improve the ability of government management, and to serve people's livelihood and social welfare," Chen said at the 12th Provincial Congress of the Communist Party of China in Guizhou.

Chen Gang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Guizhou CPC Provincial Committee and Guiyang's Party chief, said at a meeting of big data enterprises in Guiyang that the city is ready to put big data to use in government management, civilian and commercial fields, and provide other cities and regions in China with related services, expanding the market for enterprises.

In 2016, the province received approval from the central government to build the country's first big data experimental zone and released China's first local regulations for big data.

More than 200 global companies, including IBM and Qualcomm, have invested over 240 billion yuan ($34.84 billion) in Guizhou's big data industry, which is now worth more than 500 billion yuan.

zhuanti@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 05/25/2017 page11)