The 2019 Tencent WE Summit was held in Beijing today. Professor Shi Luping, director of the Center for Brain-Inspired Computing Research at Tsinghua University, was invited to deliver a speech. He shared with the audience about the “Tianjic Chip”, the first hybrid-paradigm brain-inspired chip in the world, and talked about the significance and future development potential of “brain-inspired computing” research.

The theme of the summit is “Infinity Within”, which means to discover the infinite universe from the micro world and unravel the mysteries of life. Seven of the world’s most prestigious scientists including Carl June, cancer immunologist; Brian Greene, theoretical physicist; Wang Yifang, high-energy physicist; Shi Luping, director of CBICR at Tsinghua University; roboticist Hod Lipson; geophysicist Jennifer Jackson and geneticist Magdalena Skipper, gathered to share cutting-edge scientific advances in cell therapy, string theory, brain-inspired chips, and particle robots. They open a door for human beings to further understand ourselves and the universe from a “micro” level.

“I usually only attend academic activities. This time I accepted Tencent’s invitation since their idea proposed ‘Technology for Good’ in line with our ethos,” said Professor Shi.

“It’s not the first self-driving bike. But equipped with an A.I. chip, it may be the nearest to thinking for itself,” commented the New York Times. According to MIT Technology Review, the “Tianjic Chip” on an unmanned bicycle hints at the progress China is making in developing its own chip design capabilities whilst manufacturing the most advanced computer chips remains out of reach. The Tianjic does show the growing value of new chip designs optimized for running AI algorithms.