iFlytek Launches Medical AI and Smart Classroom Tech in Hong Kong to Drive Global Expansion
- tech360.tv
- 10 hours ago
- 2 min read
Chinese voice recognition firm iFlytek has unveiled a suite of artificial intelligence products in Hong Kong, marking a major step in its global expansion strategy.
The company launched an international version of its Spark medical large language model (LLM) V2.5, designed to assist healthcare professionals with diagnosis and treatment. The model supports both Cantonese and English, and is now available to organisations in Hong Kong.
iFlytek also introduced a localised version of its healthcare chatbot app Xiaoyi for consumers in the city.
In addition to medical AI, the company rolled out a smart blackboard for classrooms and a multilingual meeting transcription and translation tool. The solution allows users to switch between Cantonese, Putonghua and English.
Founder and Chairman Liu Qingfeng said on Tuesday that Hong Kong would serve as a launch pad for iFlytek’s international ambitions.
“Hong Kong is not merely a market for iFlytek,” Liu said. “It is instead our base for innovation and internationalisation.”
Tao Xiaodong, President of iFlytek Healthcare, said the city’s English-language medical data and internationally trained doctors would help enhance the company’s medical LLM. He added that Hong Kong would be used to develop global-facing products based on technologies already scaled in mainland China.
iFlytek is focusing on domestic computing infrastructure, using AI chips from Huawei Technologies, as US restrictions continue to limit access to advanced foreign chips.
The company, added to the US Entity List in Oct. 2019, has been barred from purchasing advanced US chips. Liu said in June that iFlytek would continue to rely on home-grown chips despite their limitations.
During an April earnings call, Liu noted that Chinese state-owned enterprises and critical industries would increasingly value self-reliant and controllable LLMs. He said iFlytek aimed to provide a key safety net for the country.
Founded in 1999 and based in Hefei, Anhui province, iFlytek established its international headquarters in Hong Kong in July last year.
The company plans to offer its LLM and voice recognition tools to customers in Hong Kong and use the city as a base to expand its hardware and services globally.
Yan Qingxi, head of iFlytek’s Hong Kong and Macau operations, said in March that Hong Kong’s IT delivery standards matched the best in the world. He added that success in the city would pave the way for international growth.
iFlytek launched medical AI and smart classroom tools in Hong Kong
Spark medical LLM V2.5 supports Cantonese and English
Hong Kong to serve as base for global expansion
Source: SCMP
That said, global expansion will demand not just localising languages but also addressing privacy concerns. On a lighter note, even casual apps like Geometry Dash Lite have to think about localisation and user reach—so it's not surprising that a company with much higher stakes is making Hong Kong a hub.