Chinese computer OS maker releases AI-focused openKylin to tap potential PC demand boost

China’s home-grown open-source OS openKylin is designed to support running large language models on-device, following the AI PC industry trend.

Reading Time:2 minutes

OpenKylin, the open-source version of China’s home-grown Linux-based Kylin OS, has launched a new version designed to locally run large language models. Photo: openKylin

Published: 9:00pm, 9 Jul 2024Updated: 9:32pm, 9 Jul 2024

China’s first home-grown open source desktop operating system (OS) openKylin has launched a new version for artificial intelligence (AI) personal computers (PCs), as the country ramps up efforts to reduce reliance on foreign systems amid a global AI boom.

OpenKylin for AIPC, launched on Sunday, is “deeply integrated” with AI technology with support for on-device large language models (LLMs), and comes with features that include an AI assistant and text-to-image generation, the community that maintains the OS said in a WeChat post on Monday.

AI is bringing new challenges and opportunities for infrastructure software, the community said. The goal with openKylin for AIPC is to “significantly improve” work efficiency and the creative experience for users of home-grown operating systems, according to the group.

In a report on Monday, China’s state-run newspaper Science and Technology Daily called the AI version of openKylin “secure, stable and controllable”.

OpenKylin is designed to have the look and feel of Microsoft Windows, on which the Chinese government has been pushing to reduce its reliance. Photo: openKylin

The original version of openKylin was released in 2022, following efforts in China spanning decades to create a domestic alternative to Microsoft Windows and Apple’s macOS.

Escalating US-China trade tensions have only intensified Beijing’s push for technological self-sufficiency.