Alibaba has followed suit with plans to open a global network of research labs, including in Silicon Valley and Seattle. Thus far, Tencent and Alibaba have yet to publicly demonstrate the results of this research, opting instead for more product-driven applications. Alibaba has taken the lead on “City Brains”: massive AI-driven networks that optimize city services by drawing on data from video cameras, social media, public transit, and location-based apps. Working
