SPH Media's flagship Chinese paper Lianhe Zaobao embraces AI as it turns 100

Lianhe Zaobao (ZB), the flagship Chinese-language daily of SPH Media, and SenseTime International (SenseTime). SenseTime’s artificial intelligence (AI) technology will be used to enhance its visual content and provide its audiences with a more immersive reading experience. Other collaborations in the year-long MOU include optimising the Chinese daily’s visual content output, boosting its online and print readers engagement efforts, as well as organising AI-related knowledge-sharing activities for ZB’s audiences and partners.

ZB will enter into a project trial using SenseTime’s ‘Super Resolution’ technology, an application that speeds up image processing for news reports which help photojournalists save time. The application can even restore resolution of low-quality images such as old photos from ZB’s archives, which are a rich source of Singapore’s visual heritage dating back to the 1920s.

ZB will experiment with using SenseTime’s augmented/mixed reality (AR/MR) imaging technologies to inject dynamism to its visual content on print and digital platforms. Other initiatives include exploring the use of technology to animate static photos and comics to boost reading experience. ZB will also tap on this AR/MR technology to enhance its audience’s experience at physical events.

The partnership will also see both parties jointly organise public seminars to raise the awareness of AI technology. There will also be AI bootcamps for ZB’s Student Correspondents’ Club members.

Lee Huay Leng, editor-in-chief, Chinese Media Group, SPH Media said: “Lianhe Zaobao will celebrate its 100th year in 2023 and this timely collaboration with SenseTime, a renowned leader in the AI field, is a great boost to our digitalisation journey. We will implement innovative ways to showcase our past and present works in a fresh, new approach. Using AI-enabled technology to enhance our visual content not only places us in good stead to meet evolving media trends, it also shapes new ways of delivering essential news content to our audiences.”

Xu Li, Executive Chairman of the Board and CEO of SenseTime said: “SenseTime is proud to partner Lianhe Zaobao for its momentous 100th anniversary milestone, lending our expertise and knowledge to preserve and amplify the media outlet’s rich heritage while driving its digitalisation efforts. There remains great potential to transform the media landscape through AI and we hope to co-lead the charge in the digital transformation of the media industry with Lianhe Zaobao in the region. This MOU marks the beginning of our collaboration and we look forward to a fruitful and long-standing partnership which could also benefit the wider SPH Media family."

In December 2021, SenseTime planned to delay its Hong Kong initial public offering (IPO) after the US government had placed the company on its investment blacklist. 

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