Bytedance Hosts First 'Global Festival for AI Ideas' to Drive Global Dialogue on the Power of AI Technology for Social Good

Bytedance Hosts First 'Global Festival for AI Ideas' to Drive Global Dialogue on the Power of AI Technology for Social Good

China's AI industry leader creates platform for experts from industry, academia and policy to discuss the social impact and responsible development of AI technologies

BEIJING, Dec. 1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- AI experts and innovators from China and around the world gathered today in Beijing for a day-long forum on the future of artificial intelligence and the responsibility of global corporates and industry leaders to responsibly manage the application of these technologies. The inaugural Global Festival for AI Ideas was organized and hosted by Bytedance, the industry leader in AI technologies on content platforms that enable people to connect with, consume, and create content through machine learning technology.

Bytedance Founder and CEO Zhang Yiming makes the opening remarks at the first Global Festival of AI Ideas held in Beijing on 1 December 2017
Bytedance Founder and CEO Zhang Yiming makes the opening remarks at the first Global Festival of AI Ideas held in Beijing on 1 December 2017

The Festival is an exclusive gathering of leading international and local scientists, policymakers, industry executives, investors and key thought leaders in AI technology, ethics and policy, gender equality, education, and the arts. During the day-long conference, the multidisciplinary group of experts participated in discussions on topics such as global AI ethics and governance, education and diversity, as well as future technologies and their implications.

Among the many distinguished speakers to participate in the festival include: Dr. John E Hopcroft, IBM Professor of Engineering and Applied Mathematics in Computer Science at Cornell University, Turing Award Winner; Dr. Min Zhu, Chairman of the National Institute of Financial Research at Tsinghua University and former Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund; and Dr. Urs Gasser, Professor at Harvard University and Director at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society.

Zhang Yiming, Bytedance Founder and CEO, said:

"AI technology touches more aspects of our lives than we are even aware, from the networked systems that control the flow of traffic through our cities and the algorithms that create our music playlists, to the systems in healthcare and education that run automated diagnostics and recommend online courses to expand our knowledge base. As AI becomes an increasingly integral part of our society, Bytedance believes that we -- and our industry peers -- have a duty to ensure that we understand and can anticipate the social impact of these new technologies, and manage this impact responsibly. We are delighted to provide this platform where some of the greatest minds and most influential people in our industry can come together to exchange ideas about the future of AI in our society, and drive the best ideas forward."

Bytedance hosted The Global Festival for AI Ideas with collaborators including The Berkman Klein Center, The School of Public Policy Management at Tsinghua University, The China Institute of Science and Technology Policy at Tsinghua University and The United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute.

LAUNCH OF BYTEDANCE STRATEGIC TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE, NEW PARTNERSHIPS TO DRIVE INCLUSION AND DIALOGUE

Underlining its commitment to continuing this vital cross-industry dialogue on AI technology and its future role in society, Bytedance also announced that it is establishing a technology advisory board and launching a series of partnerships with institutions and industry experts.

The Bytedance Strategic Technology Committee, which was officially launched on today's conference by Zhang Yiming, Bytedance CEO and Founder, has been established to provide a sustained platform for cross-industry discussion of critical challenges at the intersection of AI and society. Founding members of the board include Dr. John E Hopcroft, IBM Professor of Engineering and Applied Mathematics in Computer Science at Cornell University; Gao Wen, Peking University Professor, Academy of Engineering, and Deputy Director of the National Natural Science Foundation of China; and Zhang Bo, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Tsinghua University professor. The members will formally convene on a regular basis and will provide recommendations to Bytedance's senior management and board of directors.

Also today, Bytedance announced that it is partnering with the Tsinghua University School of Public Administration to establish the Innovation and Governance Center, which will focus on researching the social impact of, and response to, new technologies. The center will serve as an international forum for cross-disciplinary research, bringing together experts in engineering and technology with their counterparts from the social sciences.   

Bytedance has also announced its global strategic partnership with EQUALS, the global partnership for gender equality in the digital age. EQUALS is a joint initiative of UN Women and ITU, the leading United Nations agency for information and communication technologies. Bytedance will work with EQUALS on programs in China that will empower women and girls by facilitating access to the opportunities of the digital economy.

About Bytedance

Bytedance operates a range of content platforms that enable people to connect with, consume, and create content through machine learning technology. The company is dedicated to building connections between people and information. Bytedance was founded in 2012 and its flagship product, Toutiao, is the largest AI-powered content platform in China. Toutiao delivers personalized content recommendations to every user based on their interests. Bytedance also operates a series of products popular with mobile users around the world, including Topbuzz, Flipagram and a number of UGC short-form video apps.

In 2016, Bytedance established an AI Lab which builds on the company's vast and complex datasets to develop state-of-the-art innovations in artificial intelligence.

Media Contacts

Martin Reidy
Hume Brophy
bytedance@humebrophy.com

Jingjing Zhang
Bytedance
Zhangjingjing.pr@bytedance.com

Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20171201/2005274-1

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