Alibaba's AI explored at CeBIT Australia

Insights into China's artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem will be shared by keynote speaker Xiaofeng Ren at CeBIT Australia 2018.

Ren is the Chief Scientist and Associate Dean, Machine Intelligence and Technology at Alibaba and Former Senior Principal Scientist at Amazon Go.

He will provide a unique perspective on the emerging technologies being developed at Alibaba, and how they are set to impact the future of the organisation and the global retail landscape.

"The growth of AI technology is reshaping the future of business and our economy," said Ren.

"At Alibaba, we have a vision to become the world's fifth-largest economy within the next 20 years, an ambitious feat that will only be possible with long-term investment into advanced technological research and development. AI applications have the power to transform business, enabling consumers and businesses to improve productivity and efficiency."

When Jack Ma, founder and executive chairman of Alibaba Group, announced the multinational conglomerate's 20-year plan to "become the fifth-largest economy in the world, serving two billion consumers, creating 100 million jobs and helping 10 million companies profit", it was clear that Alibaba needed to build strong leadership for its research and development capacity. He found Ren was the person right for the job.

Joining Ren at CeBIT Australia will be Jez Frampton, former global chief executive officer at Interbrand, and global expert on the anticipated impact of business automation on brands. Frampton will share what the future of brands in an automated world will look like over the next 5–10 years, focusing on the impact AI and the Internet of Things (IoT) technologies will have on the human elements of business, cultural identity and how brands are built and perceived.

Niall Blair, NSW Minister for Trade and Industry, said the CeBIT speaker and conference program continued to gather strength in the lead-up to May ensuring strong learning opportunities for attending businesses and individuals.

"CeBIT Australia will not only be the Asia–Pacific's biggest exhibition and marketplace for the latest business technologies but will be the international platform for the latest thought leadership," said Blair.

Ren and Frampton join a stellar line-up of previously announced international keynote speakers at CeBIT Australia 2018, including:

• Greg Clark, CEO, Symantec
• Rob Wainwright, Executive Director, Europol
• Tamara McCleary, CEO, Thulium
• Liesl Yearsley, CEO, Akin.com
• Hiroshi Saijou, CEO and Managing Director, Yamaha Motor Ventures and Laboratory Silicon Valley
   

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/faithie

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