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    As more industries and policymakers awaken to the benefits of machine learning, two countries appear to be pulling away in the research race. The results will probably have significant implications for the future of AI.Humanity may still be years if not decades away from producing sentient artificial intelligence. But with the rise of machine-learning services in our smartphones and other devices, one type of narrow, specialized AI has become all the rage. And the research on this branch of AI is only accelerating.As more industries and policymakers awaken to the benefits of machine learning, two countries appear to be pulling away in the research race.
The results will likely have significant implications for the future of AI.If you're not familiar with the term, "deep learning" is a subset of the overall branch of AI known as machine learning - which basically involves the use of computer algorithms to perform pattern recognition and analysis. It's this type of AI that powers personal digital assistants like Google Now, for example
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Quality of China's research 
   "Current levels of R&D spending are half to one-quarter of the level of R&D investment that would produce the optimal level of economic growth," a companion report published this week by the Obama administration finds.The government is pushing for a major role for itself in AI research in china, and here's why: Becoming a leader in artificial-intelligence R&D puts the United States in a better position to establish global norms on how AI should be safely used. When AI stands to transform everything from labor to the environment to the future of warfare and cyber conflict, the United States could be put at a disadvantage if other countries, such as China, get to dictate terms instead.

 In fact, as more industries and policymakers awaken to the benefits of machine learning, two countries appear to be pulling away in the ai research race. The results will probably have significant implications for the future of AI.If you're not familiar with the term, “deep learning” is a subset of the overall branch of AI known as machine learning — which basically involves the use of computer algorithms to perform pattern recognition and analysis. It's this type of AI that powers personal digital assistants such as Google Now

China leading the world for growth in high-quality science output, Nature Index shows

China's ten most productive cities in the Nature Index by WFC in 2014 are Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Wuhan, Hefei, Changchun, Hong Kong, Hangzhou, Guangzhou and Tianjin. They made a combined contribution of 70.4% of China's WFC. Beijing, Shanghai and Nanjing remain the dominant scientific centres. Beijing has the highest number of institutions contributing to the Nature Index in China and the city is particularly strong in chemistry and physical sciences. Shanghai has less than half the total number of institutions of Beijing in the index, but its top 10 are as strong as the capital's top 10. Like Shanghai, almost 60% of Nanjing's output in the Nature Index is in China's high quality research output grew 37% from 2012 to 2014, according to new analysis of Nature Index data. The United States saw a 4% drop over this period in the same Nature Index metric (weighted fractional count; WFC)

The Nature Index 2015 China, publishing as a supplement to Nature on 17 December, shows China's total contribution to high-quality science has risen to become the second largest in the world, surpassed only by the United States."Clearly China is catching up to the US and is already a high-quality scientific powerhouse. The country's ever-increasing R&D budgets fuelled by its burgeoning economy since the early 1980s have driven this pattern," said Dr. Nick Campbell, Executive Editor, Nature. "The expansion in China's higher education system and improvements in the quality and quantity of its scientific workforce are key factors in delivering this impressive return on investment."While chemistry and physical sciences are prominent in China's Nature Index contribution, accounting for 61% and 30% of its total WFC respectively, the life sciences contribution is growing almost as rapidly (30% increase from 2012 to 2014).emistry.


Nanjing University contributed more than half of the city's overall 2014 output in the index.Between 2012 and 2014, Xi'an, Chengdu and Hangzhou experienced some of the fastest WFC growth rate, largely driven by chemistry. Xi'an in particular experienced an exceptional rise in the relative increase of its WFC of 142%, while Chengdu and Hangzhou rose 78% and 55% respectively.The Nature Index data also identifies Shenzhen, Beijing and Wuhan as China's industrial research powerhouses, home to corporations making a significant contribution to ai research, especially in cutting-edge life sciences. Shenzhen in particular has experienced a remarkable transformation into a research-based industry hub and companies based there now account for almost half of the country's international patent filings.

Three Chinese cities stand out for their collaborative orientation: while Hong Kong and Hefei institutions have formed a record number of partnerships with their international peers. Tianjin scientists have focused on forging local links, mainly between Nankai and Tianjin universities.China's top five university contributors are Peking University, Nanjing University, Tsinghua University, University of Science and Technology of China, and Zhejiang University.