On Thursday, the Chinese government detailed plans to become the world leader in artificial intelligence (AI) development by 2030. By that time, the country expects the industry to be worth $150 billion to its economy. To support those efforts, it will be investing in military, government and academic research, as well as state-owned companies and startups. It hopes to build AI systems that can track guided missiles, censor the Internet and predict crimes before they happen.
Until recently, Chinese AI development has lagged behind that of other countries, but industry watchers say the country's developers are catching up quickly.
The new plan calls for China's AI capabilities to match those of the United States by 2020. The American government has been cutting back on science research spending, but the Chinese plan is said to be concerning to U.S. Defense Department officials.