Shanghai leads the way in AI hardware sector

At Google's annual global developer conference in May, the world's first Android AR (augmented reality) glasses were officially unveiled. The product, jointly developed by Google and Shanghai-based AI hardware company XREAL, marks the beginning of a new era in the AR industry dubbed the "Android moment".

The world's first AR glasses to run on the Android XR system co-developed by Google and XREAL are launched at Google's annual global developer conference. [Photo/WeChat ID: pdnews]

With decades of industry experience in smart manufacturing and the semiconductor sector, Shanghai has taken the lead in many aspects of the AI hardware supply chain, boasting one of the most comprehensive industry chains in certain fields. For instance, in the core component supply chain of AR glasses, both upstream and downstream companies are concentrated in Shanghai.

XREAL, the world's leading AR glasses company, recently announced the relocation of its headquarters to Shanghai's Pudong New Area. It has achieved significant success in multiple international markets, securing the top spot in the global AR market share for three years straight and leading in shipment volumes.

In February, Shanghai's AI enterprise MiniMax announced the establishment of the "MiniMax Intelligent Hardware Industry Innovation Alliance", expanding the application of large models into the realm of smart hardware, including smart homes, wearable devices, smart cabins, smart speakers, smart headphones, and interactive devices. MiniMax's open platform currently has over 40,000 global enterprises and developer users.

Another Shanghai-based company, Shanghai Jieyue Xingchen Intelligent Technology Co Ltd, with its multimodal large model technology, has helped enhance the intelligent service capabilities of millions of AI smartphones.