Source: China’s “Guiding Opinions on Accelerating Scenario Innovation and Promoting High-quality Economic Development with High-level Application of Artificial Intelligence,” “Notice on Supporting the Development of Next Generation Artificial Intelligence Demonstration Application Scenarios,” and “Outline of the Plan for the Domestic Demand Expansion Strategy (2022-2035),” summarized by the AI HUB.

Figure1, 2: Main directions of China’s recent AI industry and technology promotion policies

The “Guiding Opinions on Accelerating Scenario Innovation and Promoting High-quality Economic Development with High-level Application of Artificial Intelligence” announced in July 2022 can be referenced for China’s recent approach to developing the AI industry. China aims to develop major application scenarios for AI, and its policies focus on four directions of application, namely smart economy, smart society, scientific research, and major government projects.The “Notice on Supporting the Development of Next Generation Artificial Intelligence Demonstration Application Scenarios” further sets ten demonstration application scenarios to be prioritized for developed, which were selected from the major directions for AI applications in the “Guiding Opinions on Accelerating Scenario Innovation and Promoting High-quality Economic Development with High-level Application of Artificial Intelligence.” The application scenarios are smart farms, smart ports, smart mines, smart factories, smart homes, smart education, smart driving, smart diagnosis and treatment, smart courts, and smart supply chains. China hopes to continue to strengthen key AI technologies and facilitate the matching of technology and demand in the field to form an application model that can be replicated and promoted.

The “Outline of the Plan for the Domestic Demand Expansion Strategy (2022-2035)” announced by the State Council in December 2022 provides a glimpse into China’s recent approach to developing AI technologies. The period of the Outline covers the 14th Five-Year Plan to the 16th Five-Year Plan, and mainly aims to expand domestic demand by increasing the income of residents, improving the consumption environment, and carrying out urbanization and infrastructure construction. Its approaches for developing AI technologies can be divided into two aspects – infrastructure and emerging industries. In terms of infrastructure, China is systematically deploying new infrastructure, mainly accelerating the construction of information infrastructure and enhancing data sensing, transmission, storage, and computing capabilities.It is also accelerating the construction of infrastructure such as networks, industrial Internet of Things, satellite networks, and Gigabit Passive Optical Network, building a nationwide integrated big data center system, and building national hubs for big data centers. It is implementing deeper applications of AI and cloud computing for the integration and intelligent allocation of “cloud, network, and terminal” resources. Next, China is deeply embedding 5G, AI, and big data technologies into existing infrastructure, including transportation and logistics, energy, ecological and environmental protection, irrigation, and public services, which further helps improve the governance abilities of related industries. In terms of emerging industries, China is accelerating the development of new industries and new products, focusing on AI, quantum information, and brain research. It is actively developing core parts and components, key basic materials, key software, advanced technologies, and industrial technologies to guide the vertical integration of industry chains. Next, it is strengthening strategic emerging industries, promoting technological innovations and applications, such as AI, advanced communications, IC, new display, and advanced computing, and strengthening applications of innovative products.

In summary, after China released the “Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for National Economic and Social Development and Vision 2035” in 2021, it has formulated strategic plans and made investments for the long-term development of AI through innovative application scenarios, technological developments, and continued construction of infrastructure in recent years.