Introduction

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a strategic technology leading a new wave of technological revolution and industrial transformation. It is profoundly reshaping economic operations and production paradigms, promoting revolutionary leaps in productivity and deep changes in production relations. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized the need to leverage the advantages of a new type of national system, adhere to self-reliance, focus on application orientation, and promote the healthy and orderly development of AI in a beneficial, safe, and fair direction.

The 14th Five-Year Plan and government work reports propose to comprehensively implement and deepen the “AI+” initiative. This aims to fully utilize the “leading goose” effect of AI technology, cultivate and expand the intelligent industry, accelerate the creation of an intelligent economy, and steadily develop new quality productivity to provide new momentum for high-quality economic development.

Current State of AI Development

Currently, AI technology is experiencing explosive growth. We must seize the historic opportunity for AI development, capture the high ground of AI industry applications, and gain the initiative in global technological competition. Relying on our rich data resources, complete industrial system, and vast application scenarios, China has made significant breakthroughs in AI technology in recent years. However, facing increasingly fierce global technological competition and a complex international environment, there are still shortcomings in foundational theory, original innovation, and key core technologies in China’s AI development. We need to adopt a comprehensive approach from short-term, medium-term, and long-term perspectives to effectively eliminate bottlenecks and obstacles to ensure the stable and long-term implementation of the “AI+” initiative, accelerating the formation of a new intelligent economy characterized by human-machine collaboration, cross-border integration, and co-creation.

Strengthening the Foundation for the “AI+” Initiative

Strengthening foundational support capabilities is a short-term focus for ensuring the comprehensive implementation of the “AI+” initiative. We should leverage technological innovation and institutional guarantees to promote the collaborative development of computing power, data, and models.

Computing Power and Resource Coordination

The layout of computing power and resource coordination should be advanced in parallel, strengthening the overall planning of intelligent computing power. Computing power is the core driving force behind AI training and inference, serving as the key to unlocking the value of data elements. We need to promote the construction of computing power infrastructure, establish standards for computing power interconnectivity, and coordinate the development of intelligent chips, cloud computing services, and edge computing nodes, gradually increasing the domestic penetration rate of computing power infrastructure. We should fully utilize the national hub role of “East Data, West Computing,” build a national integrated computing power network, and create a national computing power internet service platform to facilitate the efficient use of computing resources across industries and fields. Conducting market assessments of computing power and establishing evaluation indicators will support third-party organizations in conducting computing power transaction evaluations.

Data Quality and Supply System

We must simultaneously improve data quality and supply systems to promote the construction of high-quality data. Data is the fuel for AI, and effectively utilizing existing data while strategically planning for new data is key to the sustained implementation of the “AI+” initiative. We need to strengthen the three-dimensional supply of data elements, integrate fragmented and scattered high-quality data resources, and promote the transformation of foundational data into high-quality Chinese corpora and specialized datasets. Deepening the open sharing of data resources, innovating data trading models and protection systems, and improving the market mechanism for data elements are essential. We should establish standards for the orderly flow of classified data and a risk prevention system for cross-border data movement, promoting legal and compliant international data collaboration. By focusing on enterprise needs, we can publish guidelines for industry dataset construction, achieving data-driven modeling.

Promoting Independent Innovation and Open Source Collaboration

We need to enhance foundational capabilities in models through a dual-driven approach of independent innovation and open-source collaboration. Strengthening foundational theoretical research and infrastructure innovation in AI is crucial. We should accelerate the research of new methods for model training and inference, cultivate large models for key industries, and develop small models for specific scenarios while promoting the collaborative development of large and small models. Additionally, fostering an open-source ecosystem and leading the global open-source landscape is vital. Open-source sharing can break down industry technical barriers, promote the popularization of AI applications, and contribute Chinese wisdom to global AI development. We should pursue both open-source and closed-source paths to elevate our foundational and innovative capabilities from “running parallel” to “leading the way.”

Expanding New Application Scenarios for the “AI+” Initiative

Cultivating large-scale applications in new scenarios is a mid-term focus for driving the comprehensive implementation of the “AI+” initiative. Scenarios serve as the “testing ground” for new AI products and technologies, act as accelerators for the development of the “AI+” initiative, and serve as a litmus test for related institutional reforms and innovations. Therefore, we should leverage China’s vast market and rich application scenario advantages to promote deep integration of technological and industrial innovation.

Demand-Driven Development

We should accelerate the cultivation and opening of high-value new application scenarios for “AI+” driven by demand. Demand is the “stepping stone” for tackling core AI technologies. We need to explore and construct a batch of high-value new application scenarios in areas such as technology, industry, consumption, livelihood, and governance. Government agencies, public institutions, and state-owned enterprises should strengthen demonstration leadership, proactively open their main business scenarios, and attract private enterprises, small and medium-sized enterprises, and research institutions to participate in collaborative development, aiming to be the first to take bold steps. We should promote the verification of “AI+” in real demand scenarios, which should include both the “hard construction” of technical products and supporting infrastructure, as well as the “soft innovation” of business models and institutional reforms, forming a collaborative innovation model between technology and industry.

Human-Centric Approach

We should adhere to a human-centric approach, promoting the inclusive application of “AI+” in livelihood and cultural fields. Following the principle of “people-centered, intelligent for good,” we need to expand AI applications in areas such as employment, education, healthcare, and elderly care, ensuring that AI achievements benefit the public. Additionally, we should promote the application of AI technology in enriching cultural production, enhancing cultural dissemination, and facilitating cultural exchange. Encouraging the digital and intelligent development of the cultural industry will achieve deep integration of technology and culture, making AI a new important engine for enhancing national cultural soft power and increasing the global influence of Chinese culture.

Promoting Global Multilateral Cooperation for the “AI+” Initiative

Advancing global cooperation on “AI+” is a long-term development goal guiding the comprehensive implementation of the “AI+” initiative. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that “AI can be an international public good that benefits humanity.” We should leverage opportunities for AI to go global, create new economic growth points, and build a digital Silk Road for the 21st century.

Deepening International Industrial Cooperation

We should focus on enterprise needs and prioritize industrial cooperation. Guiding enterprises to efficiently conduct technology validation and compliance certification, integrating resources from leading enterprises, and facilitating the orderly development of small and medium-sized enterprises in international markets will enhance the standardization and institutionalization of international cooperation. Utilizing multilateral mechanisms such as BRICS, SCO, China-ASEAN, G20, and APEC, we should actively participate in discussions on AI development-related topics and support high-profile forums, exhibitions, and competitions like the World Artificial Intelligence Conference. Promoting global industrial collaboration will solidify the international cooperation foundation for the “AI+” initiative.

Improving Multilateral Governance Mechanisms

We should adhere to the principles of joint consultation, co-construction, and sharing, supporting the representation and voice of developing countries in global AI governance. Exploring a new cooperative system with broad participation from various countries will allow us to share opportunities for digital economic development and jointly address global challenges. Balancing development and security, we need to jointly assess and actively respond to risks associated with AI applications, ensuring that AI development is safe, reliable, and controllable. We should promote equal development rights, opportunities, and rules. Enhancing the global governance system will be a long-term institutional goal of the “AI+” initiative, promoting technological collaboration through institutional synergy and advancing AI development on a path of open, fair, and effective governance.