AN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE POWERED PARK OPENED IN BEIJING

Artificial Intelligence might, in the near future, take over more than just a park in Beijing, however, the idea of it being a concept is kind of revolutionary, if you think about it, especially for China.

In a bid to transform its capital into a global hub for tech innovation and artificial intelligence (AI), China opened a smart park powered by AI technologies in Beijing, according to state-backed Xinhua News Agency.

Located in northwest Beijing’s Haidian District, the park features augmented reality (AR) Tai Chi lessons, autonomous shuttle buses, smart walkways tracking people’s steps using facial recognition, smart lamp posts that can record exercise data, and intelligent pavilions equipped with the tech company Baidu’s conversational DuerOS AI assistant.

Autonomous buses, smart walkways, augmented reality Tai Chi lessons... You can try all these #AI applications from Baidu in a new smart park in Beijing https://t.co/iQ6IUEAR5e pic.twitter.com/3fPW7bXmVD

— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) November 2, 2018

The AI park was co-built by the Haidian district and Baidu, the company behind the country's search giant, as part of a long-term plan to build a smart city. Haidian Park, which underwent a 10-month renovation, was chosen for the pilot program in Beijing.

The Haidian district is home to many of China's biggest tech companies and is considered "China's Silicon Valley." "Everyone can AI,” Pei Haodong, a spokesperson for Baidu, told the Global Times on Monday.

Baidu wants the park to serve as a role model for other urban parks and bring AI closer to everyday life, Pei said.