AI Transitions from Concept to Practicality

In the past two years, AI has become a prominent topic. At the sixth China International Consumer Products Expo held in Hainan, over 50 leading global tech companies showcased applications of AI in consumer goods, smart homes, digital consumption, and low-altitude economy, allowing global attendees to experience how “AI + consumption” is profoundly changing lives.

As I walked through the tech consumption exhibition area, I was overwhelmed by the diverse AI applications and results on display.

At the entrance of the exhibition, a gigantic AI glasses model took center stage, exuding an aura of AI. From a distance, the giant lenses displayed lines of green subtitles that piqued curiosity, prompting visitors to quicken their pace to explore.

“Please say ‘Rokid’ to activate the AI assistant,” flashed on the glasses’ screen. Behind the model, staff from Rokid explained that when you wear these AI glasses, you can activate its functions simply by calling its name—whether asking about the weather, identifying the scene in front of you, or translating a foreign menu, it can respond. Speech prompts, navigation, real-time translation, and even payment through a QR code are all possible.

The interconnectedness and human-machine interaction capabilities drew exclamations from the crowd.

Such remarkable features stem from Rokid embedding chips, batteries, and other core components into a slim frame, enabling functionalities through voice interaction or touch on the temple of the glasses.

AI is moving from concept to practicality, and it’s not just the glasses.

At the booth of Yushu Technology Co., a humanoid robot engaged in a handshake and dance with a person. Chen Tong, the manager responsible for online sales, shared that it is powered by a large language model, allowing control through voice, primarily applied in entertainment and cultural tourism.

At the Sinopec energy supply station booth, a humanoid robot demonstrated the process of pulling out a fuel nozzle, filling a disposable cup, and smoothly returning the nozzle to its slot.

At the Taishan Sports Industry Group booth, a rider hopped on a smart exercise bike, scanned a code on the screen, and entered a mini-program. The moment they pedaled, the screen displayed data such as riding time, speed, heart rate, and calories burned.

Song Kun, the brand department head, explained that these functionalities are supported not only by the bike’s hardware but also by the underlying data and software.

At this year’s expo, the AI wave was not limited to the tech consumption exhibition area. In the domestic goods exhibition area, stunning displays were also prevalent.

In the Guangdong pavilion, a humanoid robot showcased its calligraphy skills, writing the character “福” (fortune), attracting guests from around the world for photos and inquiries.

Facing the crowd’s amazement, company client manager Ma Chenchen revealed the secret behind it: “We first let a calligrapher write several times, collecting data on the movements of their joints. This data is input into a specialized server, optimized through algorithms and computing power, and then fed into the robot’s brain (related chips) for reinforcement learning. Once trained to a certain level, it can execute writing commands sent via voice or connected devices.”

“For robot intelligence, the first step is to collect the relevant data to empower it. Then, through computing power and algorithms, we process and optimize the data to build a supporting data environment for its intelligent functions, forming real machine data. Finally, we reinforce train the real machine with the data to enable execution,” Ma explained, emphasizing that computing power and algorithms are key components. Simply put, computing power is like intelligence, while algorithms are the methods to solve the equation. After collecting real human data, it relies on computing power and algorithms for optimization and activation. He also mentioned that in Guangdong, this work is supported by computing power from Gansu.

The AI wave is surging forward.