On September 25th, during the Jingdong Global Technology Explorers Conference, Xu Ran, the Group CEO, unveiled a series of significant strategic shifts in the realm of artificial intelligence (AI).

The most striking development is the elevation of the Jingdong Exploration Academy, which will now be directly overseen by the group, with founder Liu Qiangdong stepping in as the dean himself.

Established in November 2020, the Jingdong Exploration Academy functions as a research and development arm of the Jingdong Group, with a mission to delve into cutting-edge technologies. Its primary focus lies in six key domains of digital and intelligent technology, encompassing artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and data science, among others.

Presently, the academy is on a global hunt for AI scientists and has forged in-depth collaborative ties with numerous universities through the establishment of joint laboratories. Its research endeavors are concentrated on four pivotal areas: 'large-scale models, multimodality, embodied intelligence, and reinforcement learning.'

Previously operating in the shadows, the Jingdong Exploration Academy has now been propelled into the limelight, with Liu Qiangdong himself at the helm, underscoring its strategic significance.

According to official announcements, Jingdong is committed to a thorough approach, starting from foundational theories rather than merely skimming the surface. The company intends to sustain its investment over the next three years to foster the emergence of a trillion-dollar artificial intelligence ecosystem.

Following the announcement, Jingdong Group's shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange experienced a surge during trading hours, culminating in a closing gain exceeding 6%.