Tencent on Monday demonstrated how technology can make a positive impact across different industries, including public welfare, culture, and businesses.

In a 70-min presentation livestreamed at the Expo 2020 Dubai, Tencent introduced tech solutions that can be applied to protect the environment, preserve cultural heritage, and boost the digital lifestyle.

Harnessing the Power of AI

In collaboration with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Tencent recently built a digital detection platform to track snow leopards and collect essential data on their habitat.

The AI-based infrastructure was installed in China’s Qilian Mountain National Park to help rangers protect the species under threat, with as few as 8,000 left on the planet. The researchers also utilized cloud data and cloud modeling that can be replicated in the future for other conservation efforts.

Tencent has been a driving force in digital transformation in China and beyond, providing services to companies and the public seeking to make that shift. The manufacturing and healthcare industries are two examples of how businesses are riding the wave through the power of AI.

Tencent has been working closely with some Chinese factories to provide AI solutions to automatically screen faulty products. They also assisted frontline healthcare workers during the first COVID-19 outbreak in the country to trace and slow down the spread of the virus.

As the public awareness of healthcare and wellness continues to escalate, the company has been offering more AI solutions to help tackle different physical health conditions.

One example is Tencent Ethereal Audio, an audio lab that is part of the Tencent Meeting live audio and video conferencing app. The technology helps identify one’s surroundings and run real-time noise recognition to isolate the sound of other humans from the background noise, improving the clarity and intelligibility of the cochlear implant by 40 percent. 

The Art of Going Digital

Livestreaming in China is experiencing explosive growth across different industries. One of the prominent areas is protecting and celebrating cultural heritage.

In the past few years, the Tencent Charity Foundation has been helping restore the Xifengkou section of the Great Wall in China, which has been damaged over time. The restoration project used 3D modeling and was livestreamed through Weixin Channels to get more public support.

More non-profit organizations and local governments are actively using the livestreaming feature to bring people closer to such time-honored cultural treasures. 

In 2020, Tencent introduced a mini program called “The Cloud Museum of Dunhuang Caves”, which encourages people to virtually visit Dunhuang in China’s northwestern Gansu Province, known for the Mogao Caves that house more than 50,000 square meters of ancient murals.

Nearly 60 million people joined online tours and creative interactions on the mini program as of December 2021, almost 20 times more than the total number of offline visitors in the past two years.

Tencent shared at the expo that it will continue to play a vital role in empowering people, society and governments to make positive changes with technology.