iAsk x China Daily | How To Be A Unicorn Company?
本文章刊登在CHINA DAILY-艾問專欄
目前人類正處在從大資料時代向大計算時代變革的時間點上。
At present, mankind is at a time of transformation from the big data era to the big computing era.
——餘凱 地平線創始人
2012年，他在一眾華人頂尖科學家中率先回國，第一個在中國開啟深度學習；2013年，他領銜百度團隊，第一個在中國發起自動駕駛；2015年，他轉身創業，第一個從軟體領域提出做晶片。
In 2012, he took the lead among the top Chinese scientists to return China and was the first to start deep learning research in China. In 2013, he led the Baidu team to pioneer the research in automatic driving in China. In 2015, he started a business and was the first to propose chip researches in the software field.
餘凱，地平線創始人&CEO，原百度研究院執行院長，中組部“千人計劃”國家特聘專家，科技部國家新一代人工智慧戰略諮詢委員會委員……
Yu Kai, founder and CEO of Horizon Robotics,former executive director of Baidu Research Institute, national distinguished expert of under the “Thousand People Plan” initiated by the Organization Department of the Central Committee of the CPC and member of the Next Generation AI Strategy Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Science and Technology …
這些年，貼在餘凱身上的標籤越來越多，他也試圖解剖自己。
Over these years, more and more labels have been attached to Yu Kai, and he has also tried to look deep into himself.
“很多人說科學家不適合創業，其實跟性格特質有關。越是科學家，越喜歡深思熟慮、萬事俱備再去做事，但我認識到一件事，無論你認為自己多麼聰明、做多麼充分的設想、事先對戰場的狀況多麼瞭解，一旦衝入戰場，形勢的變化會遠超你已有的經驗。 你唯一要做的事是勇敢 。”
“Many people say that scientists are not suitable for starting a business, but I think great entrepreneurship is actually related to one’s characters Scientists tend to think carefully and get everything ready before they start doing things. I realize that no matter how smart you think you are, how good propositions you think you’ve made and how well you know the competitive landscape in advance, once you get into the battlefield, the situation always changes much faster than you have already experienced. The only thing you have to do is be brave.”
地平線在2015年7月成立的時候，沒什麼人瞭解人工智慧的深度學習，也沒什麼人覺得一家做處理器的公司可以成為獨角獸。
When Horizon Robotics was founded in July 2015, few people understood deep learning of artificial intelligence, and few people thought a processor company could become a unicorn.
但作為中國第一家做人工處理人工智慧處理器的公司，餘凱從一開始就明白他要做的是一件異常艱難的事情，但他不在乎，他一定要做。
But as the first company in China to produce artificial intelligence processors, Yu Kai knew from the beginning that what he was going to do was extremely difficult, but he was not afraid and felt that he must doit.
三年，地平線已經成為了讓中國驕傲的AI晶片企業。 在達沃斯最新公佈的中國AI 50榜單中，地平線成為登陸該榜單的Top14獨角獸企業。
It takes three years for Horizon Robotics to become an AI chip company and the pride of China. In the latest list of AI 50 Chinese companies released in Davos, Horizon Robotics became a top14 unicorn company.
餘凱和地平線有著太多讓人好奇的地方， 本期《艾問頂級人物》，帶你閱讀人工智慧的故事。
Yu Kai and Horizon Robotics have inspired a lot of curiosity. This issue of IASK LEADERS will bring you a story of artificial intelligence.
艾誠：有人說做晶片，晶片是一個重度投資是吧？需要很長時間，面對巨頭挑戰，聽上去圍繞你和地平線都是不利的揣測？
Gloria Ai:Some people say making chips requires heavy investment, isn’t it? It will take a long time and you have to face the challenge of the industrial giants. It seems that many negative speculations have been around you and the horizon.
餘凱：對的。但是我認為就是說世界上面的話，如果你說創新什麼叫創新？創新一定是做一件事情是帶來這個世界new dimension（新次元），如果你沒有一個new dimension 的話，也就是說你這個公司存在或不存在，這個世界是一樣的，說明這個是公司是沒有價值的。
Yu Kai:Yes. But I think that is to say what’s already known to the world. What is innovation? Innovation means bringing about a new dimension in the world. If you don’t create a new dimension, that is to say, the world remains the same whether your company exists or not, then this company is worthless.
所以說 一個創新的公司一定是他的一個想法，是絕大部分人都看不懂，絕大部分人不理解也不同意， 然後你去做，那麼你也享受一段孤獨，然後在孤獨的時間裡面真正創造價值，等大家都意識到的時候，其實戰爭已經結束了。
Therefore, an innovative company must be one of your unique ideas. Most people don’t understand it or agree with it, and then you do it, so that you can enjoy a period of loneliness and then create real value during that period. By the time everyone realizes its value, your lonely battle is actually over.
艾誠：地平線創造了什麼不可取代的價值？
Gloria Ai:What irreplaceable value does Horizon Robotics create?
餘凱：地平線在2015年的7月份成立的時候，是中國第一家做人工智慧處理器的公司，那個時候好多人都說15年我剛剛才明白關注什麼是深度學習，什麼是演算法，然後突然你說你要做處理器，這什麼玩意兒，這看起來很不靠譜，而且這個計劃我看到的是一個巨大的機會，為什麼？因為我是做人工智慧的演算法，尤其是深度學習， 我應該是世界上最早做深度學習的學者之一。
Yu Kai:When Horizon Robotics was founded in July 2015, it was the first company in China to produce artificial intelligence processors. At that time, many people said that I had just understood what is deep learning and how algorithm works in 2015, and then suddenly decided to do processors; it sounded very risky. However, what I saw is a huge opportunity. Why? Because I studied and practiceson artificial intelligence algorithms, especially deep learning. I am one of the first scholars in the world to do researches in deep learning.
在15年的時候，我深刻地意識到，真正軟體演算法它很難改變世界，它在每個場景裡面在自動駕駛，在我們的攝像頭，在我們的很多的場景裡面，真正如果能夠改變的，實際上是一定是處理器的一個突破。使得功耗能夠降低，體積能夠變小。
In 2015, I deeply realized that it’s hard to use software algorithms to change the world. In different scenarios, such as automatic driving and camera, the real room for improvement lies in the breakthrough in the processor. It must have less power consumption and smaller size.
所以的話我們一定要去挑戰具有挑戰力就非常難的一件事情，很多人他都不是覺得這玩意很容易，但是它有價值，我們就不要去在乎我們的資源短缺，或者是說我們現在路很長，一定要做。這就是我的想法。
We must take up this very daunting challenge which many people think is hard, because it has value. We don’t care if we are short of resources or we have a long way to go; we just must do it. That’s what I think.
艾誠：但問題是在這個時代大家突然也意識到了，如果人工智慧是一個時代問題的話，它的底層技術它的晶片就是必須被需要，大家都看到這個機會的時候，你不緊張嗎？你再也不是那個先知先覺者。
Gloria Ai:But the problem is when people suddenly realize this era is going to be dominated by artificial intelligence which needs chips, when everyone sees this opportunity, aren’t you nervous? You are no longer the first-mover.
餘凱：對我來講的話在很兩年前的時候去看到這一點，然後去投入，那麼今天的話開始慢慢成為大家的共識，我自己還是有點小滿足感，這是第一點。
Yu Kai:For me, I saw this opportunity two years ago and then delved into it. Today, everyone begins to agree with it. For me, I feel very good about myself. This is the first point I want to make.
第二點的話，實際上我考慮更多的倒不是說是競爭的問題，我覺得因為每個人的話其實思考的還是自己的腳步，如果你在跑馬拉松的時候的話，你老是看周邊的人，你是沒有辦法把馬拉松跑下來的， 你一定是享受這個過程，傾聽自己的腳步聲，去調整自己的節奏。
Secondly, in fact, I’m not thinking much about competition. I think everyone should mind their own pace. If you are running a marathon, you can’t finish it by looking at people around you. You must enjoy the process, listen to your footsteps and adjust your pace.
艾誠：我知道有一句對地平線最大的就是說我們是幹嗎的，解釋不清楚的時候，就說我們就是給機器人做腦子裡的晶片，這是什麼意思？
Gloria Ai:I know that the most common question about Horizon Robotics is what it is doing. When you can’t explain specifically, you just say you are making chips in the robot’s brain. What does that mean?
餘凱：確實有的時候覺得有些挑戰，就是說跟大家解釋我們要去做什麼事情，我們的商業模式。因為以前沒有存在過這個物種，所以的話只有相信你才能看見，對吧？就是說很難描述，所以你有時候的話你 享受這種孤獨，反而我覺得真正的創業者創新者一定是與眾不同的。
Yu Kai:Sometimes I do feel a little challenging to explain what we are going to do and our business model. Since it has never existed before, you can only see it if you believe it, right? That is to say, it is difficult to describe, so sometimes you enjoy this kind of intellectual loneliness, but I think a real entrepreneur and innovator must be different.
艾誠：人工智慧的晶片，你打算最優先應用在哪些場景？
Gloria Ai:In terms of the applying AI chips, what scenarios do you plan to prioritize?
餘凱：地平線的話我們實際上主要考慮的是城市路況的自動駕駛，這種場景實際上會給我們帶來一種很大的一個差異化的一個技術路線，同時這也是我們的價值。
Yu Kai: Horizon mainly considers applying it to automatic driving in urban settings. It’s a technology that can differentiate us from others hence showcasing our value.
艾誠：天下的機器人那麼多種，偏偏為什麼要選擇出行呢？
Gloria Ai:There are many kinds of robots in the world, why choose car?
餘凱：其實我在想未來機器人的應用一定會非常的多，但是我要去首先突破一個事情，這個事情的話，一個是說他可能是所有的機器人應用裡面最難的。
Yu Kai:Actually, I’m thinking that there will be a lot of robot applicationsin the future, but I’m going to make breakthroughs in one area first. We choose self-driving car, because it may be the most difficult of all robot applications.
第二點的話，它實際上是對人類的生活品質影響最大的。從我每天花的時間來講的話，實際上佔我們整個人生很大一部分的時間，它影響我們的效率，影響我們的生活質量，我認為人工智慧時代的話，可能在兩個維度上面對人類生活的影響力會非常大， 一個就是出行，另外一個是就是醫療。
The other reason is that it actually has the greatest impact on the quality of human life. In terms of the time I spend every day, driving actually accounts for a large part of my life. It affects our efficiency and quality of life. I believe that in the era of artificial intelligence, AI may have the greatest impact on human life in two dimensions, one is travel and the other is medical care.
艾誠：未來的機器人，地平線將會給我們帶來什麼樣的驚喜？
Gloria Ai:What kind of surprise will the future robots and Horizon bring tous?
餘凱：我們在2018年的話，我們的核心就是show me the product, 就是產品落地，2019年我們展現給大家的一定不只是晶片，一定是something（產品），但是晶片inside（植入在裡面）。每年都在進步，每年都還蠻有意思。
Yu Kai:In 2018, our key task is to show me the product, that is, the product manufacturing. In 2019, we will show you not only the chip, but also something (a product) with a chip inside. Every year we are making progress, and every year is quite interesting.
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