China’s AI Chatbots Get a New Job: Babysit 400 Million Grandparents

China’s AI Chatbots Get a New Job: Babysit 400 Million Grandparents Chinese technology giants are retooling their artificial intelligence (AI) systems to serve the country’s rapidly aging population, rebranding chatbots as digital companions for seniors [129203]. With an estimated 400 million people in China expected to be aged 60 or over by 2035, companies see a vast, untapped market [129203]. To attract elderly users, they are overhauling popular AI assistants with features like voice-only operation, support for local dialects, and slower, louder, more repetitive responses [129203]. The goal is to provide constant companionship, allowing seniors to ask the AI to tell stories, play opera, or remind them to take medicine [129203]. This push into elder care is part of a broader strategic race in advanced AI within China. Major firms and startups, including one founded by AI pioneer Li Fei-Fei, are competing to develop sophisticated "world models" that understand the physical world, moving beyond simple text processing [130687]. Supporting this AI expansion, Chinese scientists recently unveiled a breakthrough in cooling technology critical for data centers. A new diamond-coated copper composite material, developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, boosts cooling efficiency by up to 80 percent and is already installed in an AI computing node [130988]. The integration of AI into daily life and national strategy is drawing global attention. A U.S. State Department advisory report has recommended creating a new government agency dedicated to maintaining a significant AI lead over competitors, citing economic strength and innovation as key stakes beyond military advantage [130765]. Meanwhile, the underlying technologies enabling these advances continue to evolve. Separate Chinese research has produced a "smart surface" that can transform electromagnetic waves, like enemy radar, into electricity—a innovation that could benefit both future stealth technology and next-generation 6G networks [36179]. China’s AI Chatbots Get a New Job: Babysit Grandma AI "Godmother" Li Fei-Fei, Chinese Giants Race for "World Model" Dominance Diamond-Coated Copper Cools AI's Red-Hot Data Centers AI as a National Security Asset: From Battlefields to Household Pets Chinese Stealth Tech Could Turn Enemy Radar into a Power Source