Recently, there has been unfortunate news in the domestic technology industry again, and another well-known technology giant has begun to shrink its cutting-edge technology front. Alibaba's DAMO Academy, which has been committed to cutting-edge technology and technological innovation, suddenly announced that it would stop exploring autonomous driving technology and make a major adjustment to its business line.
The team originally responsible for autonomous driving research projects has also been laid off and adjusted to a certain extent. Some employees were optimally relocated to other departments, while the rest of the team was relegated to Cainiao. That's right, it's the well-known rookie station. In other words, Alibaba may use the self-driving technology it has mastered to deliver express delivery.
It's really embarrassing.
But can you blame them for not being willing to spend money on R&D? And in their performance reports, the answer is given.
Alibaba and OPPO announced their fiscal 2022 results reports, and the numbers are shocking. Alibaba's net profit was 64.7 billion yuan, down 24% year-on-year. This figure means that reality forces people to choose between chasing their dreams and making a living.
OPPO faces a similar situation. National mobile phone shipments have returned to the level of seven years ago in 2016, and profits per phone are getting thinner. Even if a giant like Samsung gradually feels that it has become difficult to burn capital, do other mobile phone manufacturers dare to take risks?
However, in such an economic winter, Mr. Ren is also talking about Huawei's "survival" as the most important program. And domestic giants aren't alone in this dilemma, as global investment in technology research and development and new businesses has been shrinking over the past few years. In short, capital institutions are less afraid to burn money on a large scale, which also makes it difficult for startups and R&D teams to raise funds. Once financing is difficult, many new projects and research are forced to stop, and even tech giants like Alibaba have to turn to pragmatic research and development. Therefore, the era of scientific research investment by technology giants regardless of cost may be over.
Some tech giants have begun to lie flat, what will you choose?
The sea of stars and lying flat, which one will you choose?