https://j.people.com.cn/n3/2026/0311/c95952-20434670.html

For the first time, this year’s government work report included the phrase “building a new form of smart economy.”

Industry observers see this as an important signal, indicating that AI is moving beyond the technological exploration stage and transitioning from mere “tool-based capability enhancement” to a new stage of deep industrial application and systematic development.

Chen Changsheng, a member of the drafting group for the government work report and deputy director of the State Council Research Laboratory, explained the new expression, stating, “This year, for the first time, we proposed building a new form of smart economy to seize the opportunity of AI development and further expand the breadth and depth of AI’s support for various industries.”

Qi Xiangdong, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and chairman of the Qi Anxin Society, expressed his expectation that the “smart economy” will bring limitless imaginative space for a new leap forward in the economy and society, unleashing the demand for a huge range of application scenarios.

Looking at industrial practice, China’s AI technology is already accelerating to the stage of large-scale application. Data shows that in the past year, the number of open-source model downloads in China has been the highest in the world. By the end of 2025, the penetration rate of AI technology in manufacturing enterprises above a certain size will exceed 30%, and Chinese companies have already released more than 300 types of humanoid robot products.

Huang Qunhui, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and former director of the CAS Institute of Economics, stated that “the smart economy will emerge on the one hand as various industries being empowered by ‘AI+’, and on the other hand as ‘smart native businesses’ that expand industries, consumption, and business models based on AI.”

Notably, the concept of “AI agent” was presented alongside “smart terminal.” The former refers to software programs that can understand tasks and perform complex operations, while the latter includes physical entities such as embodied AI robots, AI smartphones, and smart connected cars.

The report clearly stated the need to accelerate the adoption of new-generation smart terminals and AI agents. The general view in the industry is that this could be an important direction for the future implementation of AI applications. Li Lecheng, Minister of Industry and Information Technology of China, also stated during the Two Sessions that it is necessary to vigorously promote technological research and technological updates of next-generation artificial intelligence products.

In terms of policy, a clear roadmap already exists for the development of AI in China. Last year, the State Council issued “Opinions on Further Implementation of ‘AI+’ Actions,” and all three phased goals outlined within it refer to the “smart economy.” Specifically, the goals are to rapidly expand the scale of core smart economy industries by 2027, make the smart economy a key growth vector for China’s economic development by 2030, and fully enter into the development of a smart economy and smart society by 2035.

According to the official interpretation, building a new form of smart economy will involve not only expanding the large-scale application of AI, but also deepening the open-sourcing and accessibility of AI technology and promoting the construction of new infrastructure for AI development.

Zhou Hongyi, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and founder of 360 Group, states, “The state is supporting the empowerment of various industries through AI technology while simultaneously improving industrial chains and ecosystems. This presents even greater opportunities than the internet economy.”

Within the industry, expectations are rising that the smart economy will become a new and important growth engine for the Chinese economy, driven by strengthened policy support, technological breakthroughs, and the continuous expansion of application scenarios.