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Tencent Holdings signed a new deal with German automotive supplier Bosch to enhance collaboration in cloud computing and smart driving, as the Chinese tech giant looks to expand the adoption of its artificial intelligence (AI) services in the car industry.
Tencent and Bosch's China unit signed a new round of memorandums of understanding (MOUs) to explore opportunities in cloud computing and mapping for autonomous driving, integrating large language models (LLMs) into smart cockpits, and helping Chinese carmakers venture overseas, among other areas, the Shenzhen-based company announced on Monday.
The MOUs will also deepen the duo's current partnership in cloud computing and AI, and the companies aim to explore new markets and improve operational efficiency, Tencent said.
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In the four years since initiating the partnership, Tencent helped Bosch become the first international component supplier to deliver advanced intelligent driving solutions on a mass-production scale by the end of 2023, banking on the tech firm's private cloud services and computing clusters.
"Over the past three years, the two parties have embarked on a comprehensive partnership with fruitful results," said Wang Weiliang, president of Bosch Mobility Board China.
"Looking ahead to a new phase of strategic collaboration, we look forward to deepening our partnership with Tencent ... and supporting the intelligent transformation of the automotive industry in China and the world."
The renewed partnership comes amid Tencent's continued push to expand the adoption of its AI services among electric vehicle (EV) makers as they build the next generation of smart cars in the world's largest car market.
In the highly competitive market, EV makers have been caught in an escalating price war, and autonomous-driving system developers struggle to make gains in advancing towards a future of self-driving cars.
Tencent's mobility solutions - which use the company's own Hunyuan LLM - not only enhance in-vehicle experience, but help provide efficiencies across the automotive sector's supply chain, the company said in April.
Tencent said it has already partnered with more than 100 vehicle makers and automotive industry players, including German luxury brand Mercedes-Benz, Japan's Toyota Motor, Chinese state-owned Guangzhou Automobile Group and Changan Automobile. More than 15 million cars are expected to ship with its smart mobility solution installed by the end of this year, according to the company.