Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not just a buzzword—it’s transforming the world around us, and China is at the forefront of this revolution. With nearly 10,000 digitalized workshops and smart factories nationwide, AI is reshaping industries and redefining what’s possible.
China has cultivated 421 national-level smart manufacturing demonstration factories, with 90% utilizing cutting-edge technologies like AI and digital twins. This rapid adoption is driving efficiency and innovation across sectors.
The surge in AI innovation is evident in the numbers. By the end of 2023, China held 378,000 valid AI invention patents, marking a 40% year-on-year growth—1.4 times the global average. From 2014 to 2023, China filed over 38,000 generative AI patent applications, ranking first globally.
Generative AI applications are booming, with over 100 large-scale models boasting more than 1 billion parameters as of March 2024. These models are empowering fields like electronics, healthcare, and transportation, fueling digital transformation and modernizing traditional industries.
Tech giants like Alibaba and Baidu are playing pivotal roles. Alibaba is making strides by open-sourcing its self-developed large models. Over 100 open-source models are available on Qwen, Alibaba Cloud’s proprietary language model, with downloads exceeding 40 million. Their AI community, ModelScope, engages over 8 million developers, making AI development more accessible than ever.
Baidu’s ERNIE Agent is another game-changer, attracting more than 800,000 developers and 150,000 enterprises. One innovative application is the ‘Farmer Academician Agent,’ which provides farmers with real-time assistance on planting techniques and pest control, integrating advanced AI with agricultural expertise.
The industrial sector is heavily investing in AI research, with the industry producing 51 prominent machine learning models in 2023, compared to 15 from academia. This shift highlights the growing importance of industry-led innovation in AI.
As AI continues to expand its reach, it’s clear that technologies like open-source models and industry collaborations are key to accelerating AI adoption across diverse scenarios. The future is digital, and AI is lighting the way.
Reference(s):
Report: AI empowering digital development of global industries
cgtn.com
