Alibaba’s Damo Academy is taking a major step towards boosting tech innovation for small businesses by offering free access to 100 patents related to artificial intelligence (AI). The Chinese tech giant’s in-house research initiative aims to provide small and medium-sized enterprises with affordable access to AI technology as technological development accelerates rapidly.
The patents cover various AI application scenarios, including image processing, video technology, and 3D visualization. By offering these patents for free, Damo Academy hopes to lower the cost barrier for smaller businesses and foster technological innovation. The licenses for these patents will also be included in China’s national patent scheme, which provides patents to smaller businesses at a relatively low fee.
The Intellectual Property Exchange Centre in China’s Zhejiang province will publish the national patent list that incorporates the licenses. This initiative is part of a broader effort to encourage AI development in China, as large tech companies like Alibaba allocate significant resources to their AI products. With escalating export and investment restrictions on advanced technology imposed by the United States, China is intensifying its efforts to drive AI progress.
China leads the world in AI patent applications, accounting for 62 percent of the global total between 2018 and 2022. The United States and South Korea follow in second and third place, respectively. Damo Academy’s free patents include three focused on precision cancer treatment, which could support hospitals in providing intelligent solutions and accelerating advancements in cancer care. Other patents cover technologies such as traffic signal perception for intelligent traffic management and image identification to combat copyright infringement on e-commerce platforms.
Damo Academy plans to release more patents in the future, aiming to establish a more open AI technology ecosystem. Founded in 2017 by Alibaba, Damo focuses on fundamental science and disruptive innovations across various areas, including AI, autonomous driving, quantum computing, and semiconductor research and development.
Alibaba’s cloud computing unit also made recent strides in the AI field by introducing its own AI chatbot, Tongyi Qianwen, based on Damo’s large language models. The cloud unit subsequently open sourced two of its language models tied to Tongyi Qianwen, aiming to expand Alibaba’s global influence in AI.
Altogether, Alibaba’s Damo Academy is making substantial efforts to support technological innovation by providing free access to AI patents. This move will have a positive impact on small businesses, enabling them to leverage AI technology at a significantly lower cost. As China continues to prioritize AI development, initiatives like these play a crucial role in fostering progress and driving innovation across industries.
