Artificial Intelligence Leads Technological Innovation and Boosts Industrial Structure Upgrading
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The report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC pointed out that it is necessary to promote the integrated and clustered development of strategic emerging industries, build a number of new growth engines such as artificial intelligence, accelerate the development of the digital economy, promote the deep integration of the digital economy and the real economy, and create digital industrial clusters with international competitiveness. Artificial intelligence is an important part of the national strategy, a focus of future international competition, and a new engine for economic development. Artificial intelligence, with machine learning, natural language processing, and deep learning as its three core technologies, is influencing and penetrating various industries at an unprecedented speed, continuously driving major transformations and industrial upgrades in manufacturing, transportation, healthcare, finance, education, and other fields.
Artificial Intelligence Leads the Technological Revolution
Accelerating the Deepening of the AI Industry Chain
In recent years, artificial intelligence has developed rapidly. As a strategic technology leading the new generation of technological revolution and industrial transformation, it features cross-border integration, human-machine collaboration, and open collective intelligence, profoundly impacting social life and changing the world. Through digital technologies such as the Internet of Things and cloud computing, artificial intelligence can not only reduce information costs and alleviate information asymmetry but also effectively improve production efficiency across various industries. Moreover, it provides new momentum for industrial innovation, further upgrading and optimizing China's industrial structure.
From the perspective of the artificial intelligence industry chain itself, it mainly includes the basic support layer, software algorithm layer, and industry application layer. China's artificial intelligence industry has a relatively short development history and is still in its initial stages, with varying degrees of policy focus and application penetration. Given the vast application market and the concentration of enterprises in the application layer, prioritizing research and promotion in the industry application layer can rapidly expand the industrial scale. However, the foundational support layer and software algorithm layer, as crucial upstream technical support segments of the industry chain, require strategic deployment of core technology projects and the construction of major related projects to provide clear development directions for AI technology R&D.
AI Empowers Industrial Upgrade
Cultivating High-End and Efficient Intelligent Economy
China's economic development is currently at a critical juncture of transformation and upgrading, with arduous tasks in supply-side structural reform. As the core driving force of the new round of industrial transformation, artificial intelligence will reconstruct all aspects of economic activities such as production, distribution, exchange, and consumption. It will generate new intelligent demands across macro to micro levels, giving rise to new technologies, products, industries, business models, and paradigms, thereby triggering significant changes in economic structure. Therefore, it is essential to accelerate the deep application of AI to inject new momentum and vitality into China's economic development.
First, vigorously develop emerging AI industries. The advancement and application of key AI technologies promote technological integration and business model innovation, driving innovation in intelligent products across critical sectors. There is an urgent need to cultivate new AI-driven business models, position the industry at the high end of the value chain, and build internationally competitive AI industrial clusters. Examples include intelligent hardware and software, smart robots, intelligent transport systems, virtual and augmented reality, smart terminals, and IoT foundational components.
The rise of AI has also given birth to a range of emerging industries, such as self-driving cars, smart homes, and virtual reality. These industries not only inject new momentum into economic growth but also create fresh opportunities in the job market. At the same time, their development imposes new demands on traditional industries, compelling them to accelerate innovation and transformation.
Second, accelerate the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries. The application of AI has placed traditional industries under pressure to modernize intelligently, requiring them to rethink their positioning and development strategies. Aligned with the major needs of building a strong manufacturing sector, the adoption of smart manufacturing and smart factories should be promoted. Large internet companies should be encouraged to develop cloud manufacturing platforms and service platforms, providing key industrial software and model libraries online to manufacturing enterprises and offering outsourced manufacturing capabilities. By leveraging emerging technologies such as AI, blockchain, cloud computing, and big data, enterprises can establish product models, profit prediction models, and optimize production processes, time constraints, cost control, and safety maintenance, thereby advancing manufacturing toward higher-end, smarter, and greener development.
Third, promote the integration and innovation of artificial intelligence in various industries. In addition to manufacturing, AI should be vigorously piloted in key industries and fields such as agriculture, logistics, finance, commerce, and smart homes to explore large-scale applications and comprehensively enhance the intelligent level of industrial development.
Fourth, restructure the intelligent industrial chain and innovation chain. The application of AI has led to the restructuring and deep adjustment of industrial chains, optimizing and transforming industrial structures. Traditional industrial chains consist of multiple segments, each with its own professional capabilities and resources. The application of AI breaks this division of labor model by integrating resources and technologies from various segments, forming a more flexible and efficient industrial chain.
Scientifically formulate AI industrial policies
To safeguard industrial structure upgrading
In recent years, the state has introduced multiple AI policies at the macro level to encourage innovation and development in the AI industry. In the future, efforts should be intensified in the following areas to accelerate the development of the AI industry.
First, establish highlands for AI technological innovation. Encourage regions with specialized advantages and development potential to aggregate high-end factors, enterprises, and talents, creating AI industrial clusters and innovation hubs. Conduct pilot demonstrations of AI innovative applications, and build national or local AI industrial parks, maker bases, as well as specialized and interdisciplinary talent training bases. Meanwhile, explore significant reforms in institutional mechanisms, policies, and regulations within these innovation hubs to facilitate the commercialization of AI achievements. This will generate valuable experience in major product integration, innovation, and demonstration applications, leading the development of an intelligent economy and society.
Second, accelerate the cultivation of AI industries with significant leading roles. The deep integration of pioneering AI technologies with various industrial sectors can genuinely form an intelligent economic model characterized by data-driven approaches, human-machine collaboration, cross-border integration, and co-creation/sharing. Data and knowledge are gradually becoming the primary factors of economic growth, human-machine collaboration is emerging as the mainstream mode of production and service, cross-border integration is becoming an important economic paradigm, co-creation/sharing is turning into a fundamental feature of economic life, personalized demand and customization are shaping consumption trends, and productivity is achieving substantial improvements—all of which strongly support the real economy and comprehensively enhance economic efficiency.
Third, nurture leading enterprises in the AI industry. The nation needs to cultivate industry-upgrading leaders and brands in key sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture, logistics, finance, commerce, and smart homes. It should vigorously develop dominant industries like drones, speech recognition, and image recognition, as well as emerging fields including intelligent robots, smart vehicles, and wearable devices, to rapidly foster a group of leading enterprises. Simultaneously, support AI companies in accelerating patent layouts and taking the lead or participating in international standard-setting.
Fourth, respect the development and application patterns of AI technology for precise and effective policy implementation. It is essential to develop AI products with a targeted approach, continuously adjust their application methods, models, and operational mechanisms in specific industries in real-time, and address the constraints of traditional production factors and the diminishing marginal productivity. Research indicates that the impact of AI on industrial structure upgrading may follow a "U"-shaped relationship—initially inhibiting and later promoting. This is due to the potential weak compatibility of AI in the early stages of industrial application, which may suppress its impact. However, as AI gradually aligns with the goals, demands, and applications of industrial structure upgrading, it will positively promote such upgrading. When formulating AI-related industrial development policies, governments at all levels must avoid rushing the process. Instead, they should respect the scientific patterns of development, adapt to changing times and local conditions, and implement dynamic and precise policies to enhance AI's positive effects on industrial structure upgrading.