Baidu has upgraded its annual Gaokao support services with what it claims is an industry-first AI-driven college application preference filing system. The platform pairs AI-generated university and major recommendations with real human expert verification, directly addressing accuracy risks in high-stakes decisions. The service targets millions of Chinese students who must navigate the complex and irreversible 志愿填报 application process each exam season.
Chinese automaker Dongfeng has partnered with autonomous driving firm Jiushi to create a 'HI Mode' collaboration for commercial autonomous vehicles. The branding echoes Huawei's 'Huawei Inside' (HI) model, signaling a deep technology integration rather than a standard supplier relationship. The move targets the growing commercial AV segment — including logistics, freight, and industrial transport — where automation economics are often more compelling than in passenger vehicles.
China is reportedly preparing to spend about RMB 2 trillion on a nationwide AI compute network. The plan would require 80% domestic sourcing for AI chips and software, aiming to accelerate technological self-reliance and reduce dependence on U.S. suppliers. If implemented, the policy could largely sideline NVIDIA from core deployments and reshape global AI hardware supply chains, including pressure on Taiwanese suppliers.
The US Commerce Department is closing a potential export-control loophole involving overseas units of Chinese companies. Those entities must obtain licenses when purchasing advanced AI chips from suppliers including NVIDIA and AMD. The measure targets products such as NVIDIA Blackwell and AMD MI350x, aiming to prevent restricted technology from reaching China through offshore subsidiaries.
A German independent study has reportedly completed the first full third-party evaluation of China’s Hina sodium-ion battery. The test found strong cell uniformity and multiple performance metrics comparable to advanced lithium batteries, with the report benchmarking it against Tesla-level lithium performance. The key takeaway is external verification: the findings provide checkable data for assessing China’s sodium-ion battery progress.
Global plug-in vehicle sales have surpassed 20 million, but adoption is diverging sharply across markets. The report highlights government subsidies and affordable model supply as the two key drivers. China benefits from both and helps push emerging-market growth, while the U.S. and Taiwan face slower momentum because affordable options remain limited.
In this edition of Import AI 446, author Jack Clark explores three highly forward-looking and interconnected topics in current AI development: Nuclear LLMs…