Alibaba is said to be the most significant stakeholder in SenseTime, and the e-commerce giant expects the significant benefits from its ongoing investments in AI to continue going forward.
Investments are increasing in the areas of self-driving vehicles, virtual and augmented reality and along with this, China is developing technologies that are expected to aid in mass surveillance, something the country deems necessary for national security purposes despite opposition from liberals. China is said to have some of the best technologies in facial recognition. There are many aspects of AI that are said to have significant potential regarding investment and growth, and China is increasing its focus on them.
SenseTime has been toying with the idea for an IPO for a long time but is waiting for some favorable listing rules to be implemented in China.