吳婷校長硅谷演講：AI is Global, Reality is Local

在AI產業化元年的開端，吳婷校長代表嘉賓商學以及嘉賓生態的企業家校友們，在世界創新前沿的硅谷進行了一場題為AI is Global, Reality is Local的英文演講。
當地時間2026年1月10日，在美國計算機歷史博物館，吳婷校長應邀出席"Smart Living In the Era of AI"主題研討會，同臺嘉賓包括加州財政部部長Fiona Ma、美國計算機科學家Peter Norvig等。
在演講中，吳婷校長以嘉賓校友企業Genspark、地平線、擎朗、比亞迪等為例，分析AI產業圖景與致勝關鍵，對比硅谷“雨林模式”與中國“草原模式”，并歡迎全球科技從業者來到嘉賓商學，學習中國、感受中國、尋找中國產業機會。
以下是英文演講全文及中文翻譯，分享給大家。

Hello everyone, I am Wu Ting, the founder of Jiabin Business School, the only business school in China focused solely on case studies.

I established Jiabin 10 years ago. That was the era of "Mass Entrepreneurship and Innovation" in China. Everyone with a dream was trying to change the world through business. Therefore, countless fresh and vivid business cases were emerging every day.

I studied at a traditional business school before. I found that the cases in classrooms were often old and closed off. You couldn't dig deeper with questions, you couldn't see the details, you couldn't verify if they were true, and you couldn't feel the atmosphere or the energy. And the biggest thing is, you couldn't take students to study cutting-edge cases in such a fast-changing era.

So, after spending a decade in the media industry, back in 2016, I decided to switch career paths and started my own business school, focusing entirely on a new way of learning cases.

We created a new form of online case teaching. From 2016 to present, we have released thousands of video business cases, attracting 4 million high-quality followers across the web.

We also pioneered a new model for offline learning: In-depth On-site Studies. We take entrepreneurs "To the Edge, To the Core, To the Truth". This is indeed a highly innovative and unique way of learning.

I have led over 600 top entrepreneurial alumni from various industries, including AI, the Internet, new energy vehicles, manufacturing, biotech, and retail, to visit hundreds of global leading companies and learn directly from their founders.

Nearly every quarter, I join an alumni entrepreneur in ringing the opening bell at a major stock exchange. You should know that the Chinese capital market uses a strict approval-based IPO system. To get listed, your revenue and profit scale must meet high standards. It is not easy. The frequency is actually quite astonishing.

We have been to events like CES many times. I remember the first time was in 2017. Back then, new energy vehicles were just sprouting, and Nvidia's market cap was less than 100 billion dollars. Today, it is around 5 trillion dollars.

Now, in the hottest AI industry, China and the US are competing intensely. Jensen Huang summarized the AI industry as a "5-Layer Cake". From bottom to top: Energy, Chips, Infrastructure, Models, Applications.

The bottom four layers require massive capital or manufacturing tech—that is a game for the giants.

To my mind, for most of the companies, the biggest opportunity lies in the Application Layer, and we saw exactly this trend at CES, including many of our alumni enterprises.

Now, the key point with the application layer is this: The global air force is AI, but it's not enough. To win in applications, you just need to ground it in reality—that's your localized ground force.

This is the key message I want to share with you today: AI is Global, Reality is Local.

1、AI is Global

Let me quickly break down why AI is Global. By AI here, I mainly mean Large Language Models (LLMs).

Although there are thousands of languages in the world, and Chinese and English grammar differ, for the self-learning of LLMs, it's just a difference in input data. The underlying technology is universal. And our goal in using large models is the same: to improve information processing efficiency and lower the barrier to acquiring knowledge.

So we see ChatGPT has 800 million monthly active users globally, and Gemini has 350 million. In January 2025, Chinese DeepSeek stunned the world, quickly becoming the No. 1 downloaded app on the App Store. Countless professionals called it the "DeepSeek Moment". Later, Qwen, Kimi, and MiniMax also went global. They used open-source models to export China's AI power to the world.

Our Jiabin alumni, Eric Jing, went from China to Silicon Valley and founded Genspark. In just 18 months, it became a unicorn. Their most popular product Super Agent launched in April 2025, reached 10 million dollars in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) in just 9 days. In 45 days, it soared to 36 million dollars, setting one of the fastest growth records in the AI industry.

AI is global. It is like the air force—surveying the earth from above, and empowering us with cross-border insights and opportunities.

2、Reality is Local

But that is only the first half of the business story.

AGI lowers the cost of starting, but not the cost of finishing.

Once you get into real-world applications, you'll discover the true importance of "going local".

Now, going back 80 years to 1945, the famous economist Friedrich Hayek wrote an essay called The Use of Knowledge in Society. One of his most profound points was:

• Scientific knowledge occupies now so prominent a place in public imagination that we tend to forget that it is not the only kind that is relevant......We need to remember how valuable an asset in all walks of life is knowledge of people, of local conditions, and special circumstances.

Later, scholars summarized this as "on-site knowledge". It is spread out in the minds of every market participant, not just in the mind of a central planner.

This insight has new meaning in the AGI era.

Even if AI has global intelligence and a global perspective, when it lands in applications, AI lacks local context, and "on-site knowledge" is changing every moment.

In a digital sandbox, AI is like a god; but in the real world, sometimes it acts like a fool. To avoid being a fool, AI must step out of the sandbox, go deep into reality, and use "Local" to make "Reality" smarter.

Take Horizon Robotics, one of our Jiabin alumni companies.It is the first stock in the auto driving sector in China and the largest provider of ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) solutions in China.

Horizon Robotics released its first chip back in 2017. At the time, Mobileye was at its peak, and Nvidia was investing heavily in this field. The field was already crowded with global giants.

How did Horizon break through in "AI Reality"? By using the power of Local.

At that time, giants like Mobileye won by sheer computing power. They sold "Global" products. Their underlying algorithms were completely closed. Adaptation was the customer's own problem. They didn't get involved.

Horizon did the opposite. They opened their underlying algorithms and sent teams of dozens of engineers to work alongside customers, polishing the product together to ensure it met "Local" requirements. In the words of Dr. Yu Kai, founder of Horizon Robotics, this is "standing outside the range of the giants".

Everyone here today is an entrepreneur or a founder. You know clearly that customer needs are always Local. There is no "one-size-fits-all" need. The AGI era is no different.

Back to Horizon. It's not just about service. In hard-core technical competition, it also relied on "Local" to dig its moat deep.

Horizon's moat is its extreme understanding of Chinese roads: weaving riders, low-speed microcars, complex interchanges, and aggressive city driving.

Horizon used this massive, non-standard, extremely "Local" road data for training. Finally, it turned its system into an "experienced driver" that knows Chinese roads best.

In contrast, Tesla's FSD, which works incredibly well in the US, faced unique challenges during its China tests in February 2025—running red lights, driving the wrong way, and crossing solid lines. This has nothing to do with computing power or algorithms; it is only about "Local".

This does not, however, mean that Local is closed. Global companies can still share the "Reality" cake through Local-style cooperation and innovation.

Take, for example, Volkswagen Group, a giant of the fuel-powered era, which counts China as its largest market. But China's shift to EVs and smart driving was far faster than Germany's. In 2023, they chose to invest in Horizon Robotics to jointly develop smart solutions specifically for the Chinese market.

There is also Keenon Robotics, another alumni company. It is the world's largest commercial service robot company. In Japan, where labor is short, Keenon focuses on dining delivery robots, replacing waiters at 1/5th to 1/3rd of the cost. In Europe and the US, they launched lawn mowing robots, making mowing easy.

In the Jiabin ecosystem, there are many robot companies. For example, UBTech, the world's first humanoid robot stock; ENGINEAI, the first in the world to achieve a backflip; DEEP Robotics, a pioneer in commercial robot dogs, and Sanhua Intelligent Controls, which supplies joints for Tesla's Optimus.

In every niche track, they use a local mindset to polish products and a global vision to open markets.

The more global technology becomes, the more local reality matters.

This is glocalization.

3、Rainforest & Savanna

The tech innovation models of China and the US are also a weave of Global and Local.

US tech innovation is centered in Silicon Valley. The book The Rainforest describes this as the "Rainforest Model"—a highly connected ecosystem where people interact constantly, and new ideas are born every day.

On the other hand, China possesses the world's most complete industrial system. Its industrial GDP accounts for over 23% of the global total—exceeding the US, Japan, and Germany combined. China's tech innovation doesn't rely on a single highland; it is spread across various regions.

Instead, it's more like a vast Savanna—one that's teeming with all kinds of players, like lions, zebras, wildebeest, and buffalo. Each has its own role. I call this the "Savanna Model".

Let me focus on the lions here. The male lion sets the direction and protects the territory, representing China's unique "ecosystem leaders".

Take BYD, a Jiabin alumni company, and I am the brand consultant. It is the King of New Energy Vehicles in the world. With nearly 1,300 suppliers and investments in over 100 external companies, they form a massive Lion Pride.

BYD leads the charge in opening global markets, while suppliers deliver parts and solve specific problems.

Giants like Huawei, Midea have all assembled their own Lion Prides.

The Rainforest is lush, the Savanna is fierce.

The rainforest creates new ideas (0 to 1). The savanna scales them up (1 to 100). Together, they make up the real business world.

Neither is better. They just fit different stages and local realities. Top global companies know how to get inspiration from the rainforest, and how to use the savanna's strength to win new markets.

Jiabin Business School is a global business school. We have global mentors, global students, global offices, and a global vision. Yet we also focus heavily on localization. Only local learning can truly help everyone feel the world as it is, and thus make the best decisions and applications.

Many Chinese Americans and American friends are here with us today. I believe you all have a good understanding of the opportunities and challenges that China is facing right now. At such a time, if you wish to come to China to learn more, explore more, and seize more opportunities, Jiabin Business School will be your best choice.

Thank you.

中文版

大家好，我是嘉賓商學創辦人吳婷。我在10年前創辦了這所中國唯一的全案例教學機構——那是在中國的雙創時代，“大眾創業、萬眾創新”，每個心懷夢想的人都在嘗試用商業的力量改變世界，因此，無數的鮮活案例每天都在涌現。

在那之前，我曾經在傳統的商學院里學習過，我發現，教室里學習的案例是陳舊和封閉的，你無法追問主角，你無法獲知細節，你無法驗證真偽，你無法感受現場的氛圍與能量。最重要的是，你無法快速帶領學員獲取時代前沿的案例。

于是，從事了十年媒體的我，在2016年決定轉變身份，創立了一所商學院，專注于全新的案例學習。

我們開創了線上案例教學的新形態，從2016年至今，累計發布了數千個視頻商業案例，吸引了全網400萬高質量粉絲。

我們更是開創了線下案例教學新范式——近場深度訪學。我們帶企業家們“行至最前沿、訪到最深處、學到最真實”。這確實是一種極具創新且獨特的學習方式。

10年里，我累計帶領600多位各行業頭部的企業家校友——包括AI、互聯網、新能源汽車、高端制造、生物醫藥、消費零售等領域——到數百個全球的頂尖公司，向創始人和CEO學習。

幾乎平均每個季度，我都會陪一位校友敲鐘。朋友們，中國資本市場實行嚴格的核準制，想上市，營收和利潤規模必須達到要求，這并不是一件容易的事。所以我們校友的敲鐘頻率，是高得驚人的。

CES這樣的盛會，我們來了很多次。記得第一次是在2017年，那時新能源汽車產業才還是萌芽狀態，英偉達市值還不到1000億美元，如今已經到5萬億美元級別了。

在當下最火熱的AI產業，中美也在激烈競逐。黃仁勛將AI產業概括為“五層蛋糕”，從下到上依次是——能源、芯片、基礎設施、模型和應用。下面四層，都對資金或制造技術有嚴苛要求，是巨頭們的游戲。

在我看來，對于大多數公司而言，最大的機會在于應用層，我們在CES上也確切地看到了這一趨勢，其中就包括我們許多校友企業。

關于應用層，關鍵點在于：AI 是全球化的空軍，但這還不夠。要在應用層面致勝，你必須將其扎根于現實——這就是你的在地化陸軍。

這就是我今天想分享的核心信息：AI是全球的，現實是在地的。

1、AI是全球的

我先簡單闡述為什么AI是全球的。這里的AI，主要指大語言模型。盡管全世界有數千種語言，中文和英文在語法上不同，但對于大語言模型的自我學習來說，無非是輸入的語料不同，但底層的技術是全球通用的。并且，我們使用大模型的目的是一致的——提升信息處理效率、降低知識獲取門檻。

于是我們看到，ChatGPT全球月活8億、Gemini 3.5億；2025年1月，DeepSeek 驚艷世界，迅速成為App Store下載量第一名，被稱為DeepSeek時刻；后來Qwen、Kimi、MiniMax也都走向世界，他們用開源模式，向世界輸出中國AI力量。

我們嘉賓商學校友景鯤，從中國來到硅谷，創立了Genspark，只用了18個月就長成了獨角獸。他們最受歡迎的產品，是2025年4月推出新一代AI搜索工具Super Agent，上線9天就實現1000萬美元年度經常性收入(ARR)，45天飆升至3600萬美元，創下AI行業增長最快紀錄之一。

AI是全球化的。它就像空軍——從高空俯瞰地球，賦予我們跨越國界的洞察力與機遇。

2、現實是在地的

但這只是商業故事的上半場。AGI讓開始變得容易，但完成則不然。

一旦進入現實的應用，你又會發現在地化的重要性。

80年前（1945年），知名經濟學家哈耶克發表了一篇文章叫《知識在社會中的運用》，其中最深刻的觀點是：

“科學知識在公眾想象中占據了至高無上的地位，以至于人們往往忘記，它不是唯一重要的知識……在各行各業中，關于人的知識，關于當地環境的知識，關于特殊情況的知識，是多么寶貴的財富。”

后來，學界將之總結為“現場知識”，它分散在每個市場參與者的頭腦里，而不僅在一個中央計劃者的頭腦里。

這一洞見，在AGI時代有了新的意義。即便AI具備全球化的智力、全局視角，但在落地應用中，AI又缺乏在地化的語境，現場知識也時刻在變。在數字沙盤中神一般的AI，在現實世界里有時卻像一個傻子。

不想變傻，就要走出沙盤，深入現實，用在地讓AI更智能。

嘉賓商學的校友企業地平線機器人，是中國智駕第一股，也是中國最大的智駕解決方案提供商。

地平線發布第一代智駕芯片是在2017年，當時Mobileye如日中天，英偉達也把這個領域視為第二曲線，重金投入。這個領域已經擠滿了全球巨頭。地平線是如何在AI現實突圍的？靠“在地”的力量。

當時Mobileye等國際巨頭主要靠大算力取勝，只賣Global的產品，底層算法完全封閉，落地適配是客戶自己的事，他不參與。而地平線開放底層算法，還派出數十人的團隊，與客戶一起打磨，來確保達到在地化的要求。用地平線機器人的創始人余凱的話說，這是“站在巨頭的射程之外”。

今天在座的都是企業家、創業者，你們一定清楚，客戶需求都是本地的，沒有千篇一律的需求，AGI時代也一樣。

講回地平線，不只是服務客戶，在真刀真槍的技術競爭上，它同樣是依靠在地化，才挖深了護城河。

地平線的護城河，是對中國道路場景的極致理解：穿梭的外賣騎手、低速的老年代步車、復雜的立體交通、一些人彪悍的駕駛風格。地平線用這些海量的、非標的、極度本地的道路數據進行訓練，最終，把自己打造成了一個最懂中國路況的“老司機”。

相比之下，在美國表現極好的FSD，在2025年2月進入中國測試時，接連發生闖紅燈、逆行、壓線等等交通違規事件。這無關算力的大小、算法的優劣，只關于在地化。

當然，在地并不等于封閉，全球企業通過在地式的合作和創新，依然可以分享現實的蛋糕。

比如德國大眾集團，燃油時代的巨頭，它的第一大市場是中國。但中國的電動化、智能化發展速度遠超德國。2023年，它選擇入股地平線，針對中國市場，共同開發智能化方案。

還有嘉賓商學校友企業擎朗智能，它是全球出貨量最大的商用機器人企業。在日本，勞動力嚴重短缺，它主打送餐機器人，用1/5-1/3的成本替代服務員；在歐美，它推出割草機器人，讓割草變得輕松簡單。

在嘉賓商學的生態系統中，有很多機器人企業。比如全球具身機器人第一股優必選、全球第一個實現機器人前空翻的眾擎、機器狗商業化先鋒的云深處、為特斯拉Optimus供應關節的三花智控等等。

他們在各個細分賽道，用在地的心態打磨產品，用全球的格局開拓市場。

技術越是鏈接全球，現實越要扎根在地。

這就是全球在地化。

3、雨林模式（硅谷）與草原模式（中國）

中美兩國的科技創新模式，恰好也是全球化和在地化的交織。

美國的科技創新集中于硅谷，《硅谷生態圈》將其稱為“雨林模式”，整個生態系統高度連接、密集互動，不斷產生新物種。

而中國有全球最完整的工業體系，工業GDP占全球總量的23%以上，超過美、日、德等國之和。中國的科技創新并不依賴某處高地，而是分散在各個區域。

它更像是一片廣袤的草原，上面有豐富多樣的種群——獅子、鬣狗、角馬、水牛等。它們有各自的生態位。我稱之為“草原模式”。

這里重點講一下草原上的獅子。它們結成一個個獅群，雄獅領導方向、保護領地，雌獅配合作戰、外出狩獵。它們共同生存、進化。獅群里的雄獅，代表了中國特有的產業鏈“鏈主企業”。

比如由我擔任品牌顧問的校友企業比亞迪，它是全球新能源汽車之王。有近1300家供應商，還對外投資了100多家企業，他們組成一個龐大的獅群，比亞迪帶頭在全球開拓市場，供應商負責提供各類零部件、解決各類難題。

還有華為、小米、美的等等巨頭，都集結起了各自的獅群。

雨林繁茂，獅群兇猛。雨林孕育了很多“從0到1”的奇思妙想，獅群發動了很多“從1到100”的飽和攻擊，它們共同構成了商業世界的真實版圖。

兩者沒有高下之分，只是合適不同的階段、不同的 Local Realities。而頂級的 Global Players，既會在雨林中找靈感，又能帶領獅群打江山。

嘉賓商學是一所全球商學院。我們擁有全球的導師、全球的學員、全球的辦公室以及全球的視野。 但同時，我們也極度重視在地化。 只有在地學習，才能真正幫助大家感知世界的本來面目，從而做出最好的決策和應用。

今天，許多華裔朋友和美國朋友也來到了現場。我相信，大家對中國當下所面臨的機遇與挑戰都有很好的理解。在這個時刻，如果您希望來中國學到更多、探索更多、把握更多機會，嘉賓商學將是您的最佳選擇。

謝謝大家。

演講 | 吳婷