China has made rapid progress in artificial intelligence in recent years, with the goal of overtaking the United States and becoming the world leader in the field by 2030.
This ambitious goal is backed by significant investment, government initiatives, and impressive achievements in scientific research.
National Strategy and Investment
In 2017, the Chinese government announced a national AI development program, which aims to make the country a world leader in this field by 2030. This program includes significant investments in research and development, as well as the creation of a favorable ecosystem for the implementation of AI in various sectors of the economy.
According to data, China planned to reach the level of developed countries in the level of development and application of AI by 2020, which indicates the seriousness of the country's intentions.
Rising Research and Patent Activity
China has seen impressive growth in AI-related research. The country’s share of global AI research output has increased from 4.26% in 1997 to 27.68% in 2017, surpassing any other country, including the United States. China has also consistently filed more AI patents than any other country.
As of March 2019, the number of Chinese AI companies reached 1,189, second only to the United States, which has over 2,000.
In 2022, China led the world in AI patents, holding 61.1% of all patents, well ahead of the U.S. with 20.9%. This highlights China’s dominant position in innovation and development of new AI technologies.
Development of AI and Robotics Industry
The robotics industry in China is also experiencing rapid growth. The size of the Chinese humanoid robot market is estimated at about $385 million today, and by 2029 it is projected to exceed $10 billion, accounting for about a third of the global market.
This forecast was presented at the World Conference on Artificial Intelligence in July 2024 in Shanghai.
Comparison With the U.S. and Global Competition
Despite China’s significant achievements, the U.S. continues to hold the lead in some aspects of AI development. For example, by 2024, the U.S. had 61 AI models, while China had 15 and the EU had 21.
However, China is actively closing this gap by investing heavily in R&D and stimulating the growth of AI startups.
China also leads in areas such as AI surveillance technology and e-commerce algorithms. It also significantly outperforms the U.S. in the number of AI-related research papers and is almost equal in importance and citation rates.
Application of AI In Various Industries
- Medicine: The country’s first AI language model for diagnosing rare diseases has been developed, capable of accurately identifying syndromes such as Rett and Angelman syndromes
- Transportation: The introduction of AI algorithms on railways has improved management efficiency and transportation safety
- Finance: As of October 2024, China has more than 600 million users of generative AI services, which is contributing to the development of financial technologies
China’s rapid advancement in AI, supported by government support, extensive research output, and high patent activity, positions it as the world’s leading AI power by 2030.
With breakthroughs in medicine, transportation, and finance, China continues to close the gap with the U.S., shaping the future of AI-powered innovation worldwide.
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