AI in China: Analyzing the rise of Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent

China is rapidly becoming one of the world's leaders in artificial intelligence: It has not just ambitious government-led plans, but also AI-focused large companies, an increasing number of research papers and patents, and a growing AI ecosystem that includes start-ups and universities too. This report analyzes the landscape of China’s AI development, focusing in particular on the important BAT trio - Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent. We analyze their different AI research and investment efforts, across a range of technologies and applications. This report also highlights the leading Chinese start-ups and research institutes in AI, and provides an outlook for China's role in the future of this crucial area of innovation.