20 Companies Leading the AI Revolution

SGCC is a state-owned power company focusing on AI development in areas including power grid control, power distribution and utilization networks, wind farms, and green energy. In December, SGCC launched a demonstration project for an AC/DC distribution network that connects a data center with solar photovoltaic power plants. The project integrates a smart grid and cloud computing technology that the company says “predicts a new form of power grid development for the future.”

Japan’s largest telecom provider has AI products and development projects in industries as varied as agriculture and health care. NTT recently acquired an NEC NeoFace system that it plans to use to demonstrate the effectiveness of a facial recognition system with a high-speed 5G network.

It is no surprise that Toyota’s AI-related efforts focus on mobility, the latest industry buzzword to encapsulate all modes of transportation, from scooters to flying cars. In 2017, the company established a venture capital arm in Silicon Valley and has made several investments in robotics and AI startups.

Sony has struggled with sales for the very consumer electronics products its known for–TVs, gaming consoles, cameras, and smartphones. Last May, the company’s new CEO, Kenichiro Yoshida, acknowledged the problem and declared that the key to Sony’s survival “lies in the extent to which we can take control of data and AI.” The company’s PlayStation network and its 80 million monthly active users would jumpstart Sony’s efforts.

The German industrial giant focuses on AI-driven industrial processes like optimizing gas turbines, improving smart grid monitoring, and using predictive maintenance for industrial facilities. Siemens Healthineers also use deep learning and AI to automate and standardize medical diagnostics.