Google opens new AI research lab in China

Focused on basic AI research, the new Google lab will consist of a team of AI researchers in Beijing, supported by the company’s engineering teams.

Google expands further in China, opens new office (REUTERS)

After opening a research lab focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in China -- its first such centre in Asia - Google has reportedly opened another office in the country.

According to a report in TechCrunch on Wednesday, the new workspace for Googlers is in Shenzhen -- a city that is home to Tencent, Huawei and ZTE.

"We have many important clients and partners in Shenzhen. We're setting up this e-suite office to be able to communicate and work with them better," a spokesperson told TechCrunch.

The Shenzhen office is likely to be used by teams that already spend a lot of time in the city.

Focused on basic AI research, the new Google lab will consist of a team of AI researchers in Beijing, supported by the company's engineering teams.

Google AI China Centre will publish its own work, support the AI research community by funding and sponsoring AI conferences and workshops and work closely with the AI research community.

"I am excited to launch the Google AI China Centre, our first such in Asia, at our 'Google Developer Days' event in Shanghai. This Centre joins other AI research groups we have all over the world," Fei-Fei Li, Chief Scientist, Google Cloud AI and Machine Learning, wrote in a blog post.

The tech giant has many employees in China who work on its international services. However, its search engine is blocked in the country.

The report of new AI lab comes shortly after Google said it was not relaunching its Google Maps application in China. Responding to a report, Google said it had made "no changes" to its mapping platform for China.

"There have been no changes to Google Maps in China. Maps has been accessible on desktop for years, but does not have an official presence in Android or iOS app stores in China," a Google spokesperson said.