Guo Chaoxian Fang Ao
In recent years, technologies such as the Internet, big data, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and blockchain have accelerated innovation and are increasingly integrated into the entire process of economic and social development. Countries are competing to formulate digital economic development strategies and introduce incentive policies. The digital economy is developing rapidly , The wide range of radiation and the unprecedented depth of influence, promote profound changes in production methods, lifestyles and governance methods, and become a key force in reorganizing global factor resources, reshaping the global economic structure, and changing the global competition pattern.
Among many revolutionary digital technologies, artificial intelligence, with its "technological-economic" characteristics such as permeability, synergy, substitutability, and innovation, can expand core industries, empower integrated industries, and activate potential related industries through the expansion of core industries. to promote high-quality economic development.
The world's major economies regard the development of artificial intelligence as an important strategy to enhance national competitiveness and maintain national security.
In the field of artificial intelligence, the significance of R&D innovation is particularly important.
Artificial intelligence can not only participate in the economic system as a product or service, but also realize the substitution of other traditional production factors such as labor and capital, and then reconstruct the production function, which has a transformative effect on economic operation.
For a period of time in the future, accelerate the innovation and development of artificial intelligence, promote the deep integration of artificial intelligence with the Internet, big data and other industries, give full play to the role of artificial intelligence in enabling traditional industries, actively participate in the competition of the global artificial intelligence innovation chain and gain an advantageous position, and accelerate the development of my country. It is of great significance to build an innovative country and a world power in science and technology.
Main Features of the AI Innovation Chain
The concept of "innovation chain" was first used to describe the relationship between different links in innovation activities, including basic research, technology research and development in the process of technological innovation, and practical application, industrialization, and marketization in the process of product innovation.
With the accelerated evolution of a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, the underlying structure of the production function has changed, and new production factors and production methods have become more and more important. Chinese academic circles have generally recognized the importance of actively participating in the global innovation chain competition. Strategic significance, although there are still different understandings of the innovation chain, the following consensus has been reached on the connotation of the innovation chain oriented by industrial development: there are a series of innovation nodes in the innovation chain based on industrial links, and the innovation subjects at different nodes are oriented by industrial development. Through the deployment and integration of innovation resources on the chain, value creation and appreciation are ultimately achieved; industrial development plays a guiding role in the innovation chain, and the scope of innovation includes not only the creation of scientific research knowledge, innovation of technology and product achievements, but also the improvement of business models and service functions. ; The main body of innovation allocates and integrates innovation resources, including the allocation of tangible resources such as materials, equipment, and funds, as well as the integration of intangible resources such as knowledge, information, and concepts; among the main bodies of innovation, universities and scientific research institutions are the basic knowledge Enterprises are the main innovators of the application and commercialization of scientific and technological achievements, and financial institutions or scientific and technological intermediaries are the main regulators of innovation elements.
At present, my country's research on artificial intelligence innovation chain is still relatively lack of systematic.
To further deepen relevant research, it is necessary to study and judge the main characteristics of the artificial intelligence innovation chain based on the "technological-economic" characteristics of artificial intelligence.
The relevant characteristics are mainly manifested in the following aspects.
One is diversity.
The first is the diversity of participants in innovation, including not only core enterprises, upstream and downstream enterprises, university research institutions and other innovation activities, but also other entities such as the government, financial institutions, and technology intermediaries; the second is the diversity of innovation resources, including talents, capital , patents, equipment, concepts, etc.; finally, the structural diversity of the innovation chain, including a series of supporting chain structures such as policy chain, service chain, capital chain, and talent chain.
The second is synergy.
The process of product R&D and innovation by innovative entities involves the accumulation of a series of new knowledge, such as demand analysis, technology deconstruction, and service evolution. innovation can be effectively achieved.
The third is circularity.
After innovative products enter the market, the market puts forward new demands for products and services, and the application data and information feedback generated by use and experience re-enter the innovation chain structure as a new innovation element to promote theoretical research and technological change.
The fourth is development.
The circular flow of innovation resources means that the innovation chain is a dynamic structure that is constantly evolving.
With the continuous increase of innovation subjects, the continuous expansion of innovation scope and industrial fields, the spillover effect of innovation resources will be further exerted, and the status of innovation chain will be further consolidated.
Competitive Situation of Global Artificial Intelligence Innovation Chain
At present, the global artificial intelligence innovation chain has basically formed a pattern dominated by China and the United States, and led by East Asia, North America, and Western Europe.
On the one hand, East Asia, represented by China, has initially formed a high ground for AI knowledge innovation, but North America still has the right to speak in theoretical innovation.
According to data, the total number of publications on artificial intelligence in China ranked first in the world in 2017, and contributed 22.4% of the world's publications in 2020.
In terms of the number of articles published in journals, China surpassed the United States to become the world's number one in 2017, and will account for 18% of the world in 2020.
As far as the entire East Asia region is concerned, the number of articles published in related journals will reach 26.7% of the world's total in 2020, and a high ground for AI knowledge innovation has initially formed.
However, in terms of better reflecting the key research and development direction of artificial intelligence and the right to formulate rules for the track, North America, represented by the United States, still holds the right to speak in theoretical innovation.
In 2020, the number of conference publications in the United States accounted for 19.4% of the world, while China accounted for 15.2%. In terms of citations of conference publications, the United States accounted for 40.1%.
On the other hand, the world has basically formed a pattern in which China and the United States jointly lead technological innovation.
According to statistics, from 2010 to 2019, the number of global AI patent applications was 521,264, of which 389,571 were filed in China, ranking first in the world, accounting for 74.7% of the global total.
From 2010 to February 2021, the cumulative number of patents granted in the field of artificial intelligence in the world reached 178,000, with China accounting for 43% and the United States accounting for 33%.
China's technological innovation mainly focuses on the optimization of existing technologies and the realization of projects, and the disruptive technological innovation is relatively lacking. In contrast, the United States has a large lead in this regard.
At the same time, the global artificial intelligence software and hardware industry innovation is generally dominated by the United States, China, the European Union, and Japan.
The U.S. artificial intelligence software industry has a huge volume advantage and is at a high level of innovation, basically holding the right to speak in the artificial intelligence software industry; China has continuously reduced its dependence on other countries, and has both innovation and trade advantages in the hardware industry; the European Union It relies on the United States and ASEAN in the software industry, and China and the United States in the electronics industry, and the degree of dependence is increasing; Japan still maintains its leading position in the innovation chain of artificial intelligence software and hardware industry, but its dependence on other countries is somewhat improve.
Take multiple measures to enhance the competitiveness of the innovation chain
Compared with other leading countries, my country's artificial intelligence innovation chain still has many shortcomings.
For example, knowledge innovation lacks the right to speak in theory and original disruptive technological innovation; the innovation chain of industrial chain and supply chain is out of balance, and faces the risk of being suppressed by international monopoly giants; the circulation of innovation resources for the main body of production, education and research is not smooth, and the vitality of market innovation is relatively insufficient; Innovation support chains such as policy chain, service chain, capital chain, and talent chain need to be improved.
In this regard, based on its own advantages, it is necessary to make up for short boards and forge long boards, while maintaining a leading position, vigorously enhance the competitiveness of the innovation chain, and strive to seize the initiative in the global artificial intelligence innovation chain competition.
First, promote the collaborative innovation of basic theories and key common technologies.
It is necessary to accelerate the construction of an open and collaborative artificial intelligence technology innovation system, and explore the layout in key frontier fields.
In particular, it is necessary to give full play to the advantages of my country's strong computing power, large data, comprehensive scenarios, and large base of use, and strive to achieve transformative and subversive breakthroughs in basic theories and key common technologies such as theories, methods, tools, and systems, and comprehensively enhance artificial intelligence. Original innovation ability.
At the same time, it is necessary to give full play to the guiding role of policies, promote the combination of production, education, research and use, establish and improve the coordination mechanism of the government, enterprises, industry organizations, industry alliances, think tanks, etc., and strengthen coordination and cooperation in technical research and standard formulation.
Second, strengthen the integration and development of related industries and the innovation chain of the artificial intelligence industry chain.
It is necessary to give full play to my country's huge advantages in new infrastructure construction and industrial applications, build a high-speed ubiquitous, integrated world, cloud and network integration, intelligent and agile, green and low-carbon, safe and controllable intelligent comprehensive digital information infrastructure, promote The integration and development of artificial intelligence and related industries; relying on the national new-generation artificial intelligence innovation and development pilot zone, vigorously carry out artificial intelligence technology demonstrations, policy experiments and social experiments, and form a number of typical models of deep integration of artificial intelligence and economic and social development; accelerate the construction of computing A national integrated big data center system that integrates power, algorithms, data, and application resources, develops various forms of science and technology intermediary service agencies, and promotes knowledge flow and technology transfer between enterprises, and between enterprises and universities and research institutes.
Third, formulate relevant laws, regulations and standards to optimize the innovation environment.
On the one hand, it is necessary to achieve an effective balance between innovative development and risk governance, strengthen systematic research on various standards and norms, data openness and privacy protection, algorithm supervision and accountability, and guide and regulate the development of artificial intelligence.
On the other hand, it is necessary to conduct in-depth research on new situations and new problems in the development of artificial intelligence, explore the applicability of supervision in the field of artificial intelligence, continuously improve relevant laws and regulations, create a fair competition environment, a good business order, and stimulate the innovative vitality of market players.
Fourth, combine training and introduction to vigorously increase the supply of high-end talents.
It is necessary to strengthen the talent reserve and echelon construction, actively open artificial intelligence majors, and strengthen the construction of basic disciplines. At the same time, it is necessary to expand the channels for international talent exchange and encourage international cooperation and exchanges. It is also necessary to improve the construction of a nationally unified, competitive and orderly technology property market system. And improve the artificial intelligence intellectual property trading system to promote technology diffusion.
Fifth, effectively expand international cooperation and participate in the global AI innovation chain and governance system.
It is necessary to adhere to an international vision and global thinking, respond to global competition with an open mind, build a global service platform, promote international exchanges, attract global innovation resources and elements to participate in my country's artificial intelligence technology and industrial development, and extensively organize and participate in international cooperation in artificial intelligence.
It is necessary to improve the artificial intelligence industry trade promotion policy, strengthen the system supply and legal protection, and strengthen the exchange of talents and technology sharing.
It should learn from international rules and experience, explore and establish governance rules around major issues such as cross-border data flow, actively participate in the formulation of rules in the field of global artificial intelligence, and contribute "Chinese wisdom" to the development of global artificial intelligence.
(Author: Institute of Industrial Economics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)