Chinese e-commerce company JD.com's finance division has launched a blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) focused research institute to concentrate on building so-called'smart cities and societies.' The Nanjing-based Smart City Research Institute will attempt to find the most cost-effective and efficient ways of building tech-savvy cities through the utilization of blockchain, AI and big data solutions. It will collaborate with industrial construction operations; focused on China's eastern region for the foreseeable future. The Institute will research advanced intelligent solutions in the areas of urban environment, transportation, planning, energy consumption, commerce, security, healthcare, and e-government. Jingdong Group, known more widely as JD.com, has been keen to make its mark in the blockchain sphere.