MK sports Korea 2020 shows the Houhai area in Nanshan District of Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province.Photo: Xinhua" src="https://www.globaltimes.cn/Portals/0/attachment/2024/2024-12-18/5867a43b-f016-44f8-8a54-a514fc1ea06c.jpeg" />

Aerial photo taken on Sept. 17, 2020 shows the Houhai area in Nanshan District of Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province.Photo: Xinhua

Shenzhen city, a technology hub in South China's Guangdong Province, on Monday released an action plan to propel the rapid development and application of AI technology, fostering a good number of AI-powered high-end industries. 

The action plan aims to enhance the city's industrial competitiveness by leveraging latest AI innovations. By 2026, an extra output value of 800 billion yuan ($112 billion) will be attained by making use of AI technology, with the ambition to reach 1 trillion yuan in the near future. 

Additionally, it seeks to consolidate no less than 10 leading AI-powered industrial enterprises and launch over 50 innovative products across sectors such as smartphones, computers, and wearable devices, while working out more than 60 AI applications in smart finance, smart manufacturing and smart medical care. 

The action plan prioritizes a few key products, including AI-powered smartphones, computers, and tablets. 

The city plans to set up a comprehensive industrial ecosystem to transform smartphones from "smart tools" to "intelligent assistants" and upgrade computers from traditional devices to AI-powered work stations. 

Meanwhile, large-model all-in-one machines and AI wearable devices will be developed, focusing on smarter home, health care, security, and industrial automation applications, which will offer customized services to boost businesses and consumers.

Shenzhen will mete out more measures to accelerate AI innovation, adopting top AI models, enhancing software and hardware for improved multimodal sensing and operations, and fostering a robust, multi-tiered ecosystem. 

For that purpose, the municipal government of Shenzhen will allocate resources effectively, optimize business environment and provide funding for the sustainable growth of AI-powered new industries. 

"Shenzhen stands at the frontline of China's AI ecosystem, acting as the base for numerous companies that drive the sector's growth. Its innovative policies are poised to serve as a model, setting a benchmark for the rest of the country," Chen Jing, vice president of the thinktank Technology and Strategy Research Institute, told the Global Times on Monday.

Key initiatives include accelerating AI talent development, increasing investment in data security, and ramping up standardization of the industry. By enhancing the overall industrial ecosystem, Shenzhen will maintain leadership in the global AI sector, fostering high-end AI enterprises.

Chen noted that similar policies have historically strengthened the city's industrial chain by addressing gaps in specialized fields, creating opportunities for SMEs, and boosting ecosystem resilience.
 
Shenzhen will continue to leverage the robust policy support and thriving private sector to seek more AI application scenarios. These experiences will rapidly be adopted by governments and businesses in China, Chen added.

In addition to Shenzhen, other cities across China have also introduced similar policies to support the development of AI-powered new industries. Wuhan, in Central China's Hubei Province, which has been designated as a national AI innovation pilot zone, has launched the "AI+ Action" plan to integrate AI models into over 20 industrial lines this year, the Securities Times reported.

At a press conference last week, Wuhan outlined its goal to become a major AI innovation hub, focusing on core technology breakthroughs, AI applications in smart manufacturing, medical care, and autonomous driving, and more. The city will offer up to 20 million yuan in financial support for tech breakthroughs. By 2024, Wuhan's AI-powered industrial output is projected to reach 70 billion yuan.

Other cities including Beijing and Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, have also unveiled specific policies to foster AI innovation, focusing on talent, infrastructure, and market-driven growth.

"Given the very positive stance of local governments, AI innovation and application in China is likely to scale up. Local governments should stay proactive to achieve significant results in this process," Chen noted.


Global Times