BEIJING, April 8, 2019 — Dr. Gong Yu, Founder and CEO of iQIYI, Inc. (“iQIYI” or the “Company”), participated in a panel discussion held at the Committee of 100’s (the “C100”) Annual Conference. Joined by other panellists including Robert Nederlander, Jr., President and CEO of Nederlander Worldwide Entertainment, Joseph W. Polisi, President Emeritus and Chief China Officer of the Julliard School, and Benjamin T. Wood, Founder of Studio Shanghai Architectural Firm, Dr. Gong shared with the audience trends in technological innovation which bringforward opportunities in allowing Chinese culture and entertainment to reach wider audiences in global markets.
“China’s online entertainment industry has undergone transformational growth thanks to technological innovation and Chinese people’s growing demand for quality content. Here at iQIYI, a company that’s only 9 years of age, we have already provided services to over hundreds of millions Chinese users every single day,” said Dr. Gong. “This is achieved by providing them with premium content from China and around the world.”
On the benefits of technological innovation, Dr. Gong highlighted that technology innovation has enabled iQIYI to gain a viewer base that would normally take traditional cinemas and television stations 30 or even 40 years to attain. He added that it has also created many opportunities to help Chinese culture and entertainment go global, mainly by solving common obstacles in languages, channels, ideas and values that come to play when introducing Chinese entertainment to international markets. For example, AI translation technologies have played an instrumental part in overcoming the language barriers, while the Internet has made iQIYI’s content directly accessible to users around the world.
“As the intelligence of machines develops, the advancement in technology will, to a large extent, bridge the barriers between the understanding and exchange of people with different thoughts and values in different countries and regions,” said Dr. Gong. “As an entertainment company driven by technological innovation, iQIYI has always been committed to innovation and incorporates AI technology to all aspects of the company’s operations, including content creation, production, tagging, distribution, broadcasting, monetization and customer service.”
Under its AI-focused strategy, iQIYI has continuously produced high-quality content that has received great acclaim not only in the Chinese market, but global markets as well, successfully introducing Chinese entertainment to international audiences. For example, popular dramas Story of Yanxi Palace and The Legend of White Snake have gained global attention; the variety show The Rap of China has attracted global contestants to participate; The Golden Eyes and Hot-Blood Dance Crew have been distributed in overseas markets. iQIYI has always been striving to build an online entertainment company with global influence.
The C100’s Annual Conference addresses the foremost issues in U.S.-China relations and is considered to be among the most insightful and influential events dedicated to the reflections and outlook of U.S.-China relations. The C100, founded by world-renowned architect I.M.Pei and internationally acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma, among others, is a non-profit leadership organization of Chinese Americans in business, government, academia, and the arts, which is committed to the dual mission of promoting the full participation of Chinese Americans in all aspects of American life and constructive relations between the U.S. and Greater China.
