余凱：中國市場永遠存在著不可思議的泡沫

本文章刊登在CHINA DAILY-艾問專欄

“邏輯的盡頭，不是純粹理性下的秩序王國，而是用生命去奉獻的熱愛。”

"The end of logic is not the kingdom of order ruled by pure reasons, but love devoted with life."

2019年，美國拉斯維加斯，艾誠與余凱關於國際消費類電子產品展覽會（International Consumer Electronics Show，簡稱CES）的一年之約。這一次，余凱，帶著蒸蒸日上的地平線，帶著邊緣AI計算的最新研究成果，前來赴約。

2019, in Las Vegas, United States. Gloria Ai and Kai Yu met again at International Consumer Electronics Show ("CES") to keep their promise made one year ago. This time, Mr. Yu brings along his prospering company, Horizon Robotics, and latest research findings on AI over Edge Computing.

AI領域跌宕浮沉，這陣風吹到大熱又冷卻了很多次，太多的投機者頻繁進出這一風口，最終剩下來的人數量極少，他們不是AI精英，就是狂熱愛好者，而余凱，這位曾經的科學家，二者皆是。

There have been ups and downs in AI field. This storm went overheated and cooled down several times. Too many speculators piled in and out frequently, left only few survivors, who are either AI elite or fanatic AI fans. While Kai Yu, used to be a scientist, falls into both groups.

在AI風口的邊緣觀望了20年，他參與了“AI進化史”的每一重大事件，離開了美國NEC研究院，離開了微軟，離開了史丹佛計算機系講台，離開了西門子和百度。2015年，余凱終於創立了自己的理想國——“地平線機器人”，這一次，他要自己到風口處飛一把了。

Watching by the edge of AI for past twenty years, he involved in every milestone of "AI evolution". He worked in NEC Research Institute (US), Microsoft, Computer Science Department of Stanford University (as Adjunct Professor), Siemens and Baidu. In 2015, Kai Yu finally built his own Utopia, "Horizon Robotics". This time he wants to fly with the storm himself.

“沒有軟體和生態的AI芯片只能是一塊石頭”，余凱稱，我們中國人的“房子”建在別人的“地基”上面，因為Foundation不是自己的，所以房子搖搖晃晃的，真正的產業界並沒有深刻理解AI芯片，也沒有跟上深刻的“軟硬結合”這個思路。這是目前我們國家AI界最大的問題，也是余凱成立地平線的最大原因。

"AI chip without software and ecology system is only a single piece of stone." said Kai Yu, the "house" of our Chinese people is built on a "foundation" laid by someone else. Since we did not do foundation work, so the house is rickety. The true industry has not thoroughly understood what exactly AI chip is, nor followed the profound thinking about "combining software and hardware". This is the most important problem Chinese AI community is facing now, and also the main motive for Kai Yu to establish Horizon Robotics.

“自己去做中國的AI芯片”。不鳴則已，一鳴驚人，低調了20年的余凱正式高調起飛，地平線機器人，致力於研製一顆"機器大腦"，打造萬物智能時代的"AI Inside"，給人們日常生活的無數設備和產品裝上“大腦”。

"I will develop China's own AI Chips." It never rains but it pours. Being low-profile for two decades, Kai Yu officially took off with a high profile. Horizon Robotics is committed to develop a "machine brain", to create "AI Inside" for this era of everything smart and empower numerous devices and products used in our daily life with "brains".

2018年的CES，艾誠也曾對話余凱，與那時相比，雖然仍然是那個孤獨創業的科學家，但他明顯多了一絲沉穩，眼神也更堅定了。

In 2018 CES, Gloria Ai had also conversed with Kai Yu. Compared to that time, though Mr. Yu is still a scientist entrepreneuring alone, much obviously he is calmer now and with firmer eyes.

因為他所做的，是他的畢生熱愛，他最真切的理想。

Because what he is doing, is what he has loved for all his life and is his most real ideality.

“中國的市場永遠存在著不可思議的泡沫”

"Chinese market is always blowing incredible bubbles"

艾誠：距離上一次來CES訪問你，已經一年之久，我最明顯的感覺，是你比上一次更自信，而且更愉悅。但是我清楚地記得，在一年前你還說過，創業就是一個很孤獨的旅程，在很多人都不理解甚至不支持的時候，你要享受孤獨，等很多人理解你的時候，可能戰爭已經結束了。所以，當你今年再來到拉斯維加斯時，你是什麽樣的感受，作為地平線創始人，還孤獨嗎？

Gloria Ai:It has been one year since our last interview in CES 2018. Obviously to me you are more confident than last time, and more cheerful. But I still remember it clearly one year ago you told me, entrepreneurship is rather a lonely journey. You have to enjoy loneliness when many others cannot understand you nor support you; when many understand you at last, perhaps the battler has been over. So when you come to Las Vegas this year, what do you feel? As the founder of Horizon Robotics, are you still lonely?

余凱：我覺得分兩個層面。一個層面，從我們的業務推進來講的話，我們越來越受到產業界的認可，地平線倡導的AI芯片、邊緣計算，也越來越成為一個產業界的潮流，所以這一點，感覺好像不那麽孤獨了。

Kai Yu:I think we could look at it from two sides. On one side from perspective of our business development, we are increasingly recognized among the industry. And AI chips and Edge Computing initiated by Horizon Robotics are turning out to be the industry trend. So looking from this side, I seem feel not that lonely.

余凱：另一方面，作為企業家本人，永遠是希望在整個的噪音背景下面去找到那一絲信號，這個信號是通向未來的，但這一定不是每個人都看到的，因為每個人都看到的東西，它往往是沒有價值的，今天不是講反共識嗎？所以企業家本身天然應該去享受孤獨，利用孤獨，去找到通向未來的那個非常孤獨的路徑。

Kai Yu:But on the other side an entrepreneur is always hoping to find out the tenuous signal under a noisy background. That signal is leading to future but certainly not everyone can see it. Usually something everyone can see is worth nothing. So entrepreneur himself should naturally enjoy and take advantage of loneliness to find the super lonely path which is leading to future.

艾誠：2018年，AI的芯片市場越來越熱，但熱的同時也意味著泡沫，你自己在市場上觀察到了什麽是泡沫，什麽是真相嗎？什麽可為？什麽不可為？

Gloria Ai:Market of AI chip was getting hotter in 2018. But hot also means bubbles. What have you observed in the market as bubbles, or as the truth? What could be done and what could not?

余凱：中國的市場永遠存在著這種不可思議的泡沫。我個人認為，中國整個的思維，從眾的思維比較佔主流，但特立獨行的這種思考力不是那麽佔主流。地平線的話，還是不要去太多地被這些所影響，要從噪音中去看到信號，怎麽去思考自己的戰略，怎麽去打造強大的組織，更好地去連接我們跟客戶，這些是核心去思考的問題。至於資本市場怎麽看我們，或者媒體怎麽看，不應該那麽關注。

Kai Yu:Chinese market is always blowing incredible bubbles. Personally, I think in the overall mindset of Chinese people, following the crowd prevails. While the ability of doing critical thinking is not that popular yet. It's better for Horizon Robotics not to be affected too much in this way. We still have to find the signal from noises, to think about our strategy, how to build a strong company, how to better connect us with our clients. These are core questions for us to think about. As for how the capital market will see us, or how the media will see us, we should not pay so much attention to it.

一年前，余凱曾對艾問表示，“很多人說科學家不適合創業，跟性格特質有關。越是科學家，越喜歡深思熟慮、萬事俱備再去做事，但我認識到一件事，無論你認為自己多麽聰明、做多麽充分的設想、事先對戰場的狀況多麽了解，一旦衝入戰場，形勢的變化會遠超你已有的經驗。你唯一要做的事是勇敢。”

One year ago, Kai Yu told iAsk that "many said scientists are unsuited for entrepreneurship due to their personality traits. The more you are as a scientist, the more you prefer deliberating and trying things until all necessary conditions are ready. But I have learned one lessen, no matter how smart you think you are, how comprehensive your proposal is, how well you know the situation, once getting into the battle, the ever changing circumstances will overwhelm your existing experience. The only thing you should do is to be brave."

從成立到產品落地，地平線僅用了三年，且技術成果被廣泛運用在智能駕駛、智慧城市管理、智能安防、智慧零售等領域。

It took Horizon Robotics only three years from inception to their product debut. Their technologies have also widely applied in various areas such as smart driving, smart city management, smart security and smart retail.

2019年的CES上，中國創業公司地平線Matrix的自動駕駛計算平台獲得創新獎。事實證明，勇敢的科學家余凱找到了他想找的“信號”，也暫時得到了他想要的“認可”。

In 2019 CES, the Matrix Autonomous Driving Computing Platform by Chinese startup company Horizon Robotics won the Innovation Award.The reality proved that brave scientist Kai Yu has found the "signal" he is searching for and received the "recognition" he wants.

追求理想的道路注定是孤獨的，但這種孤獨注定不平凡。為了打造中國AI自己的Foundation，余凱在這個領域觀望了20年，拒絕一切大平台的“橄欖枝”，創造自己的“理想國”，無論是不理解不支持，還是多變的戰場以及形勢，帶給他的孤獨感一定是巨大的，但他還仍然沉浸在這裡，勇敢地享受孤獨，利用孤獨，去突破。

Journey of pursuing ideality is destined to be lonely, but such loneliness is destined to be extraordinary. In order to build China’s own foundation of AI, Kai Yu kept observing this area for twenty years and turned down the "olive branches" offered by all big platforms to construct his own "Utopia" instead. Both the misunderstanding and nonsupport from others, or variable challenges and circumstances, all brought him surely the feeling of immense loneliness. But he still submerges himself in it, even enjoys it with courage and take advantage of it to make breakthroughs.

作家劉同曾說過一句話：你的孤獨，雖“敗”猶榮。這句話，隻適合描述余凱這樣內心強大的人。

Writer Tong Liu once said: You are lonely; it is a glorious "defeat". This quote is only suitable to describe people like Kai Yu who are strong inside.

“他提到AI的時候，眼睛裡面閃著光”

"When he is talking about AI, his eyes are shining"

2018年被稱為人工智能技術規模應用的轉捩點，作為核心的人工智能芯片備受關注，谷歌、蘋果、微軟、Facebook、英特爾、高通、NVIDIA、AMD、阿里巴巴等巨頭紛紛開始自主研發人工智能芯片。面對挑戰，余凱說，地平線這種邊緣計算平台要想真正發揮價值，一定要有合作夥伴，一定要有生態，所以需要更積極一點，互幫互助，通過差異化的能力尋求共存，通過重合來把地平線跟最終的應用場景拉的更近。

Year of 2018 is called the inflection point of large-scale application of AI technology. AI chips at core place attracted great attention. Industry giants such as Google, Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, Intel, Qualcomm, NVIDIA, AMD and Alibaba started one after another to develop their own chips. In the face of challenges, Kai Yu told us,if edge computing platforms like Horizon Robotics want to add true value, they must secure partners and related ecology system is also inseparable.Therefore, they need to be more active and to help each other. They should strive for coexistence by differentiated capabilities and narrow the gap between Horizon Robotics and final application scenarios through overlapping.

他可是潛伏了20年才出來“搞事情”的余凱，他的目光，不可能短淺。雖然，余凱現在總是讓自己忘掉科學家的身份，時刻用一個公司CEO的標準來要求自己，“衡量利弊”、“務實”是他應當具備的主要屬性，但余凱的身上，至少目前為止，還存留著科學家的“理想主義”，那份知識分子所與生俱來的“入世”的心。

He is no one else but Kai Yu who has been latent for 20 years before "turning up to do something". His vision surely will reach far enough. Although for the time being, he keeps reminding himself to ignore the fact that he is a scientist and asking himself with the standards of a company's CEO, who should have major characteristics such as "balancing" and "pragmatic". But at least so far, he still preserves the "idealism" of a scientist in him and a born "world-engaged" heart of intellectual.

“地平線本身的話，從創立第一天就希望成為一個平台級企業，我們做的是說AI的Edge Computing的平台，所以Horizon Robotics 實際上就是Horizontal platform for Robotics。要達到這樣一個目標，地平線可能要花至少15年的時間，我們有足夠的耐心去幹這個事情，去集聚勢能轉化成動能。短期來講的話，我們沒有任何的考慮說被收購，我們希望自己成為巨頭。”

"From the very first day of Horizon Robotics, we hope to develop it into a platform. What we are doing is the platform of AI over Edge Computing. So in fact Horizon Robotics is the Horizontal Platform for Robotics. To achieve this goal, from my point of view it might take us at least 15 years. We have enough patience to do this, to collect and transform potential energy into kinetic energy. In the short term we don’t have any consideration of being acquired. We hope we can become a giant ourselves."

余凱想做的，是將地平線打造成為世界一級的芯片公司，資本只是他的一個工具，一個他想要實現自我去架構出一個生態的媒介。他不是說只想要發財，他更想真的做出突破，打造出這個產業中國自己的“地基”，成就自己的一番事業。所以，當提到“收購”這個話題時，他語氣中的抵觸是真的，眉間稍縱即逝的顰蹙也是真的。

What Kai Yu wants to do is to develop Horizon Robotics into a world leading chip company. Investment is merely one of his tools, a vehicle which he could make use of to build an ecology system through devoting himself. It might not be accurate to say he does not want to be rich. What he desires much more is to make some breakthrough, creating China’s own "foundation" in this industry and achieving his career goal.So, when it comes to talking about "acquisition", some reluctance IS revealed in his response, and the ephemeral frowning on his face IS also visible.

艾誠：我明白叫盛名之下，後面接的一般是難副其實的，我不打算讓難副其實給你，你打算怎麽副其實？

Gloria Ai:I see it as under a prestigious name, it is usually not what it should be. I don't want you to show us such an image. What are you going to do to match your name?

余凱：一定要有清晰的商業路徑。企業家，一定是理性跟感性要結合在一起，然後他的理想主義跟現實主義一定要結合在一起，以最現實主義的態度，去做最具有夢想、最具有顛覆性的理性主義的這樣的事情。

Kai Yu:You must have a clear business path. I think entrepreneur must accommodate both sense and sensibility. His idealism and realism must be merged together.To do something most fantastic, revolutionary, and rationalistic while with the most realistic attitude.

艾誠：如果讓你做兩個預見，一個是預見十年之後的自己，一個是預見十年之後的地平線，你會如何預測未來？

Gloria Ai:If you are asked to make two predictions, one about yourself ten years later, and another one about Horizon Robotics ten years later. How would you forecast the future?

余凱：十年以後，希望我本人成為一個不是說是多有錢的企業家，最重要的是成為一個更加有思考力的企業家。

Kai Yu:I hope ten years later I myself would be an entrepreneur regardless how rich I will be, but most importantly I want to be a more thoughtful entrepreneur.

艾誠：那十年之後的地平線呢？還是那個口號嗎？要做世界第一的芯片公司？

Gloria Ai:Then how about Horizon Robotics after ten years? Still with the same slogan: To be the number one chip company in the world?

余凱：十年以後地平線當然還是這樣的一個目標，我們會希望成為全球在邊緣的人工智能最大的平台。

Kai Yu:We hope this will still be our goal ten years later. We hope to become the largest platform of AI over Edge computing in the world.

無論是作為科學家還是企業家，余凱的理想主義是務實卻也感性的。可以說，逐夢的人都是感性的，主觀感受遠大於物質需求。

No matter as a scientist or as an entrepreneur, idealism in Kai Yu is both practical and sensible. It can be said that people who chasing their dreams are all emotional, with far greater subjective feelings than material needs.

在訪問中，余凱說的最多的兩個詞是“我”和“人工智能”，可能對於他來說，這是生命中最重要的，如果仔細觀察就會發現，每當他提到這些，眼鏡下面那對聰明的眼睛，閃著堅定的光。

During our conversation, two words he said most were "I" and "AI". Maybe to him these are most important things in life. Observe carefully and you will notice the pair of smart eyes under his glasses are shining firmly when he is talking about these.

人生的摯愛，足夠支撐起所有邏輯，也就是余凱所說的“信號”，當它出現了，世界都會變成紅色。余凱有一個很大很大的理想，他不畏懼說出來，就像他不畏懼擁有這個理想，可能，他甚至都不怕失敗，他只是想朝著這個方向再走遠一點。

Love of life is strong enough to support all logic, and this is the "signal" mentioned by Kai Yu, at the moment which appears, the whole world will turn red. He has a magnificent dream and is not afraid to speak it out just as he is not afraid to keep it. Or probably, he is even not afraid of failure. He just wants to go further toward that direction.

“有地平線的地方一定是個遼闊的地方，在天地的盡頭，夢想的終點。向著地平線延伸的方向奔跑的人，一定是胸懷夢想的人。天有多廣大，地有多開闊，地平線就有多綿長。”

"A place with horizon mush be a vast one. It is at the end of sky and earth, it is the end of dream. A man running towards where horizon is reaching out to, must be a man with dream. Compatible to vast sky and open earth, the horizon will extend as far as it could be."

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