SHANGHAI — While China is pushing for widespread adoption of artificial intelligence across major industries, one medical technology company is choosing to pump the brakes on how quickly it deploys AI tools.
United Imaging Intelligence, an AI-focused subsidiary of Chinese medical technology giant Shanghai United Imaging Healthcare, is taking a deliberate and measured approach to rolling out artificial intelligence within its operations, according to the company’s top executive.
The announcement came on the sidelines of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference, where Chinese President Xi Jinping used the event to position China as a leader in a new global AI landscape and champion open-source technology.
Some Chinese companies have started tracking how much their employees use AI tools, treating that usage as a measure of how well the company is adapting to a new era of work.
But Zhou Xiang, co-CEO of United Imaging Intelligence, said his company is pushing back against that kind of pressure. He noted that software engineers and architects within the company have cautioned him about potential downsides, saying the technology is not yet mature enough for aggressive adoption.
“Some companies said … if you don’t use this much token, you must not be transforming into the new age. We are not that extreme,” Zhou said.
He also explained why the healthcare industry in particular warrants a more careful approach: “In healthcare, in medicine, the first mover advantage is not as drastic as other fields.”
The United Imaging group operates in the same competitive space as GE HealthCare, Siemens Healthineers, and Philips, all of which produce medical imaging and scanning equipment.
