(Yicai) Oct. 22 -- Chinese carmaker Chery Automobile has set a goal to turn into an “artificial intelligence-driven global intelligent technology company” over the next 10 years, according to its chairman.

At the Chery Global Innovation Conference held in Wuhu on Oct. 20, Yin Tongyue said he is happy to hear people often say the company’s cars are becoming less and less like cars and Chery is becoming less and less an automaker.

The conference was held at Chery’s Global R&D Center under the theme “Change -- Using AI to Reshape a Better World, Let Life Return to Life,” with autos making up only one part of the many products on display.

Among the 11 core technological achievements released at the event, several went beyond complete vehicles. Chery is applying auto technologies to its AiMOGA humanoid robots, robotaxis, electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, energy, and agricultural machinery.

Chery backs the launch of new technologies through continuous increases in research and development spending. The firm’s R&D expenditure jumped 28 percent to CNY6.7 billion (USD1 billion) in the first half of this year from a year earlier, according to its financial report.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Martin Kadiev