​iAsk x China Daily | How To Be A Unicorn Company?

本文章刊登在CHINA DAILY-艾问专栏

目前人类正处在从大数据时代向大计算时代变革的时间点上。

At present, mankind is at a time of transformation from the big data era to the big computing era.

——余凯 地平线创始人

2012年，他在一众华人顶尖科学家中率先回国，第一个在中国开启深度学习；2013年，他领衔百度团队，第一个在中国发起自动驾驶；2015年，他转身创业，第一个从软件领域提出做芯片。

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.

余凯，地平线创始人&CEO，原百度研究院执行院长，中组部“千人计划”国家特聘专家，科技部国家新一代人工智能战略咨询委员会委员……

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 …

这些年，贴在余凯身上的标签越来越多，他也试图解剖自己。

Over these years, more and more labels have been attached to Yu Kai, and he has also tried to look deep into himself.

“很多人说科学家不适合创业，其实跟性格特质有关。越是科学家，越喜欢深思熟虑、万事俱备再去做事，但我认识到一件事，无论你认为自己多么聪明、做多么充分的设想、事先对战场的状况多么了解，一旦冲入战场，形势的变化会远超你已有的经验。 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.”

地平线在2015年7月成立的时候，没什么人了解人工智能的深度学习，也没什么人觉得一家做处理器的公司可以成为独角兽。

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.

但作为中国第一家做人工处理人工智能处理器的公司，余凯从一开始就明白他要做的是一件异常艰难的事情，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，地平线已经成为了让中国骄傲的AI芯片企业。 在达沃斯最新公布的中国AI 50榜单中，地平线成为登陆该榜单的Top14独角兽企业。

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.

余凯和地平线有着太多让人好奇的地方， 本期《艾问顶级人物》，带你阅读人工智能的故事。

Yu Kai and Horizon Robotics have inspired a lot of curiosity. This issue of IASK LEADERS will bring you a story of artificial intelligence.

艾诚：有人说做芯片，芯片是一个重度投资是吧？需要很长时间，面对巨头挑战，听上去围绕你和地平线都是不利的揣测？

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.

余凯：对的。但是我认为就是说世界上面的话，如果你说创新什么叫创新？创新一定是做一件事情是带来这个世界new dimension（新次元），如果你没有一个new dimension 的话，也就是说你这个公司存在或不存在，这个世界是一样的，说明这个是公司是没有价值的。

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.

所以说 一个创新的公司一定是他的一个想法，是绝大部分人都看不懂，绝大部分人不理解也不同意， 然后你去做，那么你也享受一段孤独，然后在孤独的时间里面真正创造价值，等大家都意识到的时候，其实战争已经结束了。

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.

艾诚：地平线创造了什么不可取代的价值？

Gloria Ai:What irreplaceable value does Horizon Robotics create?

余凯：地平线在2015年的7月份成立的时候，是中国第一家做人工智能处理器的公司，那个时候好多人都说15年我刚刚才明白关注什么是深度学习，什么是算法，然后突然你说你要做处理器，这什么玩意儿，这看起来很不靠谱，而且这个计划我看到的是一个巨大的机会，为什么？因为我是做人工智能的算法，尤其是深度学习， 我应该是世界上最早做深度学习的学者之一。

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年的时候，我深刻地意识到，真正软件算法它很难改变世界，它在每个场景里面在自动驾驶，在我们的摄像头，在我们的很多的场景里面，真正如果能够改变的，实际上是一定是处理器的一个突破。使得功耗能够降低，体积能够变小。

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.

所以的话我们一定要去挑战具有挑战力就非常难的一件事情，很多人他都不是觉得这玩意很容易，但是它有价值，我们就不要去在乎我们的资源短缺，或者是说我们现在路很长，一定要做。这就是我的想法。

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.

艾诚：但问题是在这个时代大家突然也意识到了，如果人工智能是一个时代问题的话，它的底层技术它的芯片就是必须被需要，大家都看到这个机会的时候，你不紧张吗？你再也不是那个先知先觉者。

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.

余凯：对我来讲的话在很两年前的时候去看到这一点，然后去投入，那么今天的话开始慢慢成为大家的共识，我自己还是有点小满足感，这是第一点。

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.

第二点的话，实际上我考虑更多的倒不是说是竞争的问题，我觉得因为每个人的话其实思考的还是自己的脚步，如果你在跑马拉松的时候的话，你老是看周边的人，你是没有办法把马拉松跑下来的， 你一定是享受这个过程，倾听自己的脚步声，去调整自己的节奏。

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.

艾诚：我知道有一句对地平线最大的就是说我们是干吗的，解释不清楚的时候，就说我们就是给机器人做脑子里的芯片，这是什么意思？

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?

余凯：确实有的时候觉得有些挑战，就是说跟大家解释我们要去做什么事情，我们的商业模式。因为以前没有存在过这个物种，所以的话只有相信你才能看见，对吧？就是说很难描述，所以你有时候的话你 享受这种孤独，反而我觉得真正的创业者创新者一定是与众不同的。

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.

艾诚：人工智能的芯片，你打算最优先应用在哪些场景？

Gloria Ai:In terms of the applying AI chips, what scenarios do you plan to prioritize?

余凯：地平线的话我们实际上主要考虑的是城市路况的自动驾驶，这种场景实际上会给我们带来一种很大的一个差异化的一个技术路线，同时这也是我们的价值。

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.

艾诚：天下的机器人那么多种，偏偏为什么要选择出行呢？

Gloria Ai:There are many kinds of robots in the world, why choose car?

余凯：其实我在想未来机器人的应用一定会非常的多，但是我要去首先突破一个事情，这个事情的话，一个是说他可能是所有的机器人应用里面最难的。

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.

第二点的话，它实际上是对人类的生活品质影响最大的。从我每天花的时间来讲的话，实际上占我们整个人生很大一部分的时间，它影响我们的效率，影响我们的生活质量，我认为人工智能时代的话，可能在两个维度上面对人类生活的影响力会非常大， 一个就是出行，另外一个是就是医疗。

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.

艾诚：未来的机器人，地平线将会给我们带来什么样的惊喜？

Gloria Ai:What kind of surprise will the future robots and Horizon bring tous?

余凯：我们在2018年的话，我们的核心就是show me the product, 就是产品落地，2019年我们展现给大家的一定不只是芯片，一定是something（产品），但是芯片inside（植入在里面）。每年都在进步，每年都还蛮有意思。

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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