GUIYANG -- The China International Big Data Industry Expo 2023 kicked off on Friday in Guiyang, capital of Southwest China's Guizhou province, showcasing the country's latest achievements in the big data industry and promoting relevant business exchanges.

This year's edition focuses on integrating big data and the real economy and the future role of cloud computing. Besides sub-forums, the event also hosts industry competitions and an offline exhibition with six pavilions covering an area of 60,000 square meters, said the organizer.

During the three-day event, the latest research results and applications in the big data industry are scheduled to be released by institutes, labs, and tech companies, including the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope, or the "China Sky Eye," and the Quora-like Chinese online content website, Zhihu.

In April, Zhihu debuted Zhihaitu AI -- a Chinese large language model co-developed with Model Best, a Beijing startup engaged in artificial intelligence models. New progress on Zhihaitu AI will be updated during the expo, said the organizer.

The expo has been held in Guiyang since 2015 and is the first of its kind in China, forming a communication platform for pivotal achievements in the big data industry.

As the country's first national big data comprehensive pilot zone, Guizhou Province has been promoting the big data industry as a backbone of its high-quality social and economic development.

In 2022, Guizhou accelerated the development of the big data industry, and the province's added value of the electronic information manufacturing industry rose by more than 60 percent.