Science & Tech · AI · 6 hrs ago
China’s AI strategy focuses on integrating it into production
An opinion piece says China is putting AI into production, rather than focusing mainly on chatbots and competition between technology companies.
The approach described would use AI across industry, agriculture, energy, transport and health, including to design products, check quality and predict when machinery may fail.
China’s State Council approved guidance on 21 August 2025 calling for AI to be used across many sectors and throughout industrial design, production and operations.
The piece argues that China’s manufacturing base, production data and engineering capacity help it move AI from research into practical use.
It also says education plans aim to connect universities, research centres and companies and develop skills in fields such as engineering, medicine and agriculture.
The central question is who benefits from AI-driven productivity gains, and how work between people and machines will be organised; the piece presents technology as valuable when it supports production and public welfare.
China’s AI strategy aims to embed the technology across production, including design, manufacturing, services and operations.
A State Council document adopted on 21 August 2025 sets out plans to use AI across industry, agriculture, services, public administration, education and health.
The article describes China’s industrial and supply chains, production data and engineering capacity as advantages in applying AI at scale.
It says the goal includes producing more and better goods with less energy and raw materials, while changing how people and machines share work.
China’s Education Power-Building Plan 2024–2035 links education and skills development to the country’s modernization goals.
- Who
- China’s State Council set out the AI policy described in the article. The article is written by Adnan Akfirat, president of the China Business Development and Friendship Association.
- What
- China plans to integrate AI across production and other sectors, rather than focus only on chatbots and large language models.
- When
- The State Council adopted the policy document on 21 August 2025.
- Where
- China.
- Why
- The stated aim is to use AI to improve production capacity and support modernization. The article also describes goals including greater productivity and lower energy and raw-material use.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
This story does not have a timeline yet.
- Policy adoption
- 21 August 2025
- Policy document
- Opinions on Deepening the Implementation of the AI Plus Initiative
- Planned coverage
- Science, industry, agriculture, services, consumption, public administration, education and health
- Education plan
- Education Power-Building Plan 2024–2035
- Industrial scope
- Design, pilot testing, production, services and operations
What people are saying
The basic question is not which company develops the larger artificial intelligence model.
The basic question is this: how will artificial intelligence change the production capacity of industry, agriculture, energy, transport and the health system?
The main advantage of China is this cycle.
The right question is: how will the new division of labor between humans and machines be established, and for whose benefit will the resulting productivity gains be used?