IBM CEO highlights opportunities in China

The US tech heavyweight IBM Corp is ready to meet the surging need and contribute to China's innovation-driven development and prosperity with its industry insights and technical capabilities as a responsible and trusted partner, CEO said.

Arvind Krishna, CEO of IBM, said in a speech at the 2023 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit in Wuzhen, Zhejiang province on Wednesday that "As China is striving for high-quality growth and to become a global leader in advanced manufacturing, we are seeing strong demand from Chinese clients for more efficient, reliable and secure information communication technology support to enable their growth and international expansion."

According to him, technology is a driving force for human progress. "Take AI as an example, it has been a monumental year for AI. We've seen the first glimpses of the potential for generative AI to upend just about every industry."

The senior executive highlighted that AI is projected to enhance human productivity and unlock $4.4 trillion in value each year by 2030. "Not only will this fuel economic growth and boost GDP, but it will also offer a competitive edge to individuals and organizations who effectively leverage its capabilities."

According to him, as a key provider of AI for business, IBM offers its AI platform watsonx to many customers, including Chinese companies, to increase their time to value.

"We know that China's AI industry is thriving with many innovations. IBM works closely with Chinese authorities and customers to build an open and vibrant AI ecosystem while ensuring the responsible use of AI," Krishna said.

There are at least four use cases that every business can take advantage of AI, namely digital labor for interacting with people, AI application in system monitoring, knowledge extraction and routine work automation.

According to him, IBM made a commitment in 2021 to reskill and upskill 30 million individuals by the end of 2030, with the aim of bridging the digital divide on a global scale.

After more than two years of dedicated effort, the IBM SkillsBuild China platform has attracted registrations from over 140,000 users and benefited over 3.5 million learners across 11 provinces.

"IBM has been investing in China for four decades. We are proud to be a major technology provider and partner to China's IT development journey through our offering of technology, industry insights and expertise," Krishna said.

According to him, many Chinese companies, including major banks, leading IT firms and companies from various industries, have benefited from IBM's solutions, services and management experiences during their global expansion and modernization.

"We remain committed to making further contributions to China's digital economy endeavor through co-creation with our Chinese partners," Krishna said.