"AI+" Empowers Development of New Quality Productive Forces (People's Forum)

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "China attaches great importance to the development of artificial intelligence, actively promotes the deep integration of the internet, big data, artificial intelligence and the real economy, cultivates and strengthens the intelligent industry, accelerates the development of new quality productive forces, and provides new momentum for high-quality development." The Central Economic Work Conference held at the end of last year made carrying out the "AI+" action a key task to be grasped this year. [1]1 The Central Economic Work Conference (中央经济工作会议) is the highest-level annual economic policy meeting in China, usually held in December by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, to set the economic work agenda for the following year. This has aroused greater attention to artificial intelligence. As an important driving force of the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, artificial intelligence possesses typical characteristics of a general-purpose technology, can play a role as a "tool" in almost all economic activities, and is profoundly changing people's ways of production and life. Carrying out the "AI+" action can not only promote the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, but also cultivate and develop new quality productive forces through intelligent management, cross-industry coordination, etc., will powerfully promote the effective improvement of economic quality and reasonable increase of quantity, and help China occupy a more advantageous strategic position in the global competition pattern. We must seize the major strategic opportunity for the development of artificial intelligence, build China's first-mover advantage in artificial intelligence development, accelerate the formation of new quality productive forces through innovative development of artificial intelligence, serve economic and social development and support national security, and powerfully promote Chinese-path modernization.

习近平总书记指出：“中国高度重视人工智能发展，积极推动互联网、大数据、人工智能和实体经济深度融合，培育壮大智能产业，加快发展新质生产力，为高质量发展提供新动能。”去年底举行的中央经济工作会议把开展“人工智能+”行动作为今年要抓好的一项重点任务。这引发了人们对人工智能的更大关注。作为新一轮科技革命和产业变革的重要驱动力量，人工智能具备典型的通用技术特征，能够作为一种“工具”在几乎所有经济活动中发挥作用，正在深刻改变人们的生产生活方式。开展“人工智能+”行动，不仅能够推动传统产业转型升级，也能够通过智能化管理、跨行业协同等培育和发展新质生产力，将有力推动实现经济质的有效提升和量的合理增长，助力我国在全球竞争格局中占据更为有利的战略位置。我们必须抢抓人工智能发展的重大战略机遇，构筑我国人工智能发展的先发优势，以创新发展人工智能加快形成新质生产力，服务经济社会发展和支撑国家安全，有力推动中国式现代化建设。

China has made remarkable achievements in the development of artificial intelligence.

我国人工智能发展成就斐然

In recent years, driven by multiple factors such as policy guidance, technological breakthroughs and industrial application, China has made remarkable achievements in the development of artificial intelligence. China's artificial intelligence technology has continuously broken through, especially in the fields of speech recognition, image processing, intelligent manufacturing, autonomous driving, etc., reaching the international leading level. At the same time, as the technology continues to mature and application scenarios continue to expand, China's artificial intelligence is steadily advancing towards deep integration and innovation-driven development, contributing Chinese wisdom to the development of the global intelligent economy.

近年来，在政策引导、技术突破和产业应用的多重驱动下，我国人工智能发展成就斐然。我国人工智能技术不断突破，尤其在语音识别、图像处理、智能制造、自动驾驶等领域处于国际领先水平。同时，随着技术不断成熟与应用场景不断拓展，我国人工智能正朝着深度融合与创新驱动的方向稳步前进，为全球智能经济发展贡献中国智慧。

The construction of new-type information infrastructure has laid a solid foundation for the development of artificial intelligence. New-type information infrastructure is an infrastructure system based on information networks and driven by innovations in new-generation information and communication technology. In recent years, China has accelerated the construction of new-type information infrastructure, consolidating the foundation for the development of artificial intelligence. As of the end of November 2024, China had cumulatively built 4.191 million 5G base stations, with 5G mobile phone users reaching 1.002 billion, and had built the world's largest 5G network, accumulating a rich foundation of technology, data, industry, scenarios and markets for the development of artificial intelligence. For example, some e-commerce platforms, social platforms, etc., relying on new-type information infrastructure and massive user data, deeply integrate big data analysis, artificial intelligence algorithms, cloud computing and other technologies, promote intelligent upgrading of industries, and form a virtuous cycle. From "Internet+", digitalization to "AI+", it is not only a transition of the "technology-economy" paradigm, but also a profound transformation of the development mode, which can give birth to new economic growth points and inject new momentum into high-quality economic development.

新型信息基础设施建设为人工智能发展夯实根基。新型信息基础设施是以信息网络为基础，以新一代信息通信技术创新为驱动的基础设施体系。近年来，我国加快新型信息基础设施建设，夯实了人工智能发展的底座。截至2024年11月末，我国累计建成5G基站419.1万个，5G移动电话用户达10.02亿户，已建成全球规模最大的5G网络，为人工智能发展积累了丰富的技术、数据、产业、场景和市场基础。例如，一些电商平台、社交平台等依托新型信息基础设施和海量用户数据，深度集成大数据分析、人工智能算法、云计算等技术，推动产业智能化升级，形成了良性循环。从“互联网+”、数字化到“人工智能+”，不仅是“技术—经济”范式的跃迁，更是发展方式的深刻转变，能够催生新的经济增长点，为经济高质量发展注入新动能。

The continuous optimization of the policy environment provides guarantees for the development of artificial intelligence. China attaches great importance to the development of artificial intelligence. From the "New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan", the "Three-Year Action Plan for Promoting the Development of the New Generation Artificial Intelligence Industry (2018-2020)" to the "AI+" action, China has continuously strengthened the top-level design for the development of artificial intelligence. At the same time, it encourages various localities to strengthen practical exploration based on local characteristics and build highlands of artificial intelligence development. For example, Beijing issued an "AI+" action plan, focusing on areas such as robotics, education, medical care, culture, transportation, etc., to create benchmark applications; Shenzhen launched several measures to build a pioneering city of artificial intelligence, focusing on key areas such as advanced manufacturing, modern service industry and scientific research, to promote artificial intelligence empowering thousands of industries; Shanghai advanced the "AI+" action in the field of government services, creating a fast and easy "smart and good service" government service brand; etc. Some regions have successively released special action plans to promote the deep integration of artificial intelligence with the local economy, accelerate the construction of artificial intelligence industry ecosystems with local characteristics, and form a development pattern with demonstration effects.

政策环境不断优化为人工智能发展提供保障。我国高度重视人工智能发展，从《新一代人工智能发展规划》《促进新一代人工智能产业发展三年行动计划（2018—2020年）》到“人工智能+”行动，我国不断加强人工智能发展的顶层设计。同时，鼓励各地结合本地特色加强实践探索，打造人工智能发展高地。比如，北京发布“人工智能+”行动计划，围绕机器人、教育、医疗、文化、交通等领域打造标杆应用；深圳推出打造人工智能先锋城市的若干措施，围绕先进制造业、现代服务业和科学研究等重点领域，推动人工智能赋能千行百业；上海推进政务服务领域“人工智能+”行动，打造快捷易办的“智慧好办”政务服务品牌；等等。一些地区陆续发布专项行动计划，推动人工智能与本地经济深度融合，加快打造具有地方特色的人工智能产业生态，形成了具有示范效应的发展格局。

Rich application scenarios expand space for the development of artificial intelligence. In terms of technology research and development, innovative applications of artificial intelligence technology not only promote the optimization of algorithm technology, but also boost technological breakthroughs in intelligent chips and hardware. According to statistics from the World Intellectual Property Organization, from 2014 to 2023, China's generative artificial intelligence patent applications exceeded 38,000, ranking first in the world. Currently, China has initially built a relatively comprehensive artificial intelligence industry system, with the industrial chain covering upstream and downstream key links such as chips, algorithms, data, platforms, and applications. Multiple artificial intelligence large models independently developed by China have been widely used in fields such as transportation, online shopping, learning and office work. From the industrial perspective, artificial intelligence technology is not only widely used in fields such as intelligent manufacturing, smart cities, intelligent driving, etc., promoting the growth and expansion of new business forms, but also promotes intelligent upgrading and digital transformation of traditional industries. According to data from the "2023-2024 China Intelligent Manufacturing Development Research Annual Report", in 2023, the scale of China's intelligent manufacturing-related industries increased by 14.9% year-on-year, reaching 2,884.16 billion yuan, and it is expected to maintain a high-speed growth trend in the next three years. From the regional perspective, China has formed multiple internationally competitive artificial intelligence industry clusters with the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as concentrated areas, [2]2 The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area are three major economic zones in China that serve as concentrated areas for industrial clusters and innovation. providing strong impetus for the development of the artificial intelligence industry and promoting coordinated regional economic development. Rich application scenarios have explored new models and new paths for the development of artificial intelligence.

丰富应用场景为人工智能发展拓展空间。在技术研发方面，人工智能技术创新应用不仅推动了算法技术的优化，还助推智能芯片和硬件的技术突破。根据世界知识产权组织统计，2014—2023年，中国生成式人工智能专利申请量超过3.8万件，居世界第一。当前，我国已初步构建起较为全面的人工智能产业体系，产业链覆盖芯片、算法、数据、平台、应用等上下游关键环节。我国主导开发的多个人工智能大模型，已广泛应用于交通出行、线上购物、学习办公等多个领域。从产业看，人工智能技术不仅在智能制造、智慧城市、智能驾驶等领域广泛应用，推动新兴业态发展壮大，而且促进传统行业智能化升级、数字化改造。《2023—2024年中国智能制造发展研究年度报告》数据显示，2023年我国智能制造相关产业规模同比增长14.9%，达到28841.6亿元，预计未来3年将持续保持高速增长态势。从区域看，我国已形成以京津冀、长三角、粤港澳大湾区为集中地的多个具有国际竞争力的人工智能产业集群，为人工智能产业发展提供了强大动力，也促进了区域经济协同发展。丰富的应用场景，为人工智能发展探索了新模式新路径。

Artificial intelligence opens new development space for new quality productive forces.

人工智能打开新质生产力新的发展空间

Currently, global scientific and technological competition is increasingly fierce, and the international environment is becoming more complex and severe. Only by coordinating development and security, and adhering to the equal importance of development and security, can we enable the giant ship of China to ride the wind and waves, and sail steadily and far. [3]3 "The giant ship of China" (中国号巨轮) is a common metaphor in Chinese political discourse, referring to the country's development as a large ship navigating through challenges. Artificial intelligence opens new development space for new quality productive forces. Empowering the development of new quality productive forces with "AI+" is of great significance for achieving a positive interaction between high-quality development and high-level security.

当前，全球科技竞争日益激烈，国际环境日趋复杂严峻。只有统筹发展和安全，坚持发展和安全并重，才能推动中国号巨轮乘风破浪、行稳致远。人工智能打开新质生产力新的发展空间。以“人工智能+”赋能新质生产力发展，对于实现高质量发展和高水平安全良性互动具有重要意义。

It injects momentum into economic transformation and upgrading. At present, China's economy is at a major juncture of climbing the slope and surmounting the hurdle for high-quality development, with heavy tasks of realizing the transformation of development momentum, mode change, and structural adjustment. By deeply analyzing and processing various types of data, artificial intelligence drives comprehensive changes in production methods, business models, and consumption patterns, providing strong momentum for economic transformation and upgrading. In traditional industries, using artificial intelligence to promote intelligent transformation and digital transformation can improve production efficiency, reduce production costs, and develop towards high-end, intelligent, and green directions. For example, some intelligent garment factories, by introducing auxiliary design large models, realize seamless connection of integrated production processes from cutting, sewing, ironing to warehousing and matching, greatly increasing the proportion of customized clothing in total output. In the field of emerging industries, artificial intelligence creates a large number of business opportunities and development space, giving birth to new industries and models such as autonomous driving and intelligent medical care, creating new economic growth points.

为经济转型升级注入动力。当前，我国经济正处在高质量发展爬坡过坎的重大关口，实现发展动力转换、方式转变、结构调整的任务繁重。人工智能通过对各类数据的深度分析与处理，推动生产方式、商业模式、消费模式全面变革，为经济转型升级提供强大动力。在传统产业，利用人工智能推动智能化改造和数字化转型，能够提高生产效率、降低生产成本，向高端化、智能化、绿色化发展。比如，一些智能化制衣工厂通过引入辅助设计大模型，实现从裁剪、车缝、整烫到仓储配对的一体化生产流程无缝对接，大幅提升定制服装占总产量的比例。在新兴产业领域，人工智能创造了大量商业机会和发展空间，催生出自动驾驶、智能医疗等新产业新模式，创造了新的经济增长点。

It provides support for ensuring economic security. With the accelerated evolution of the world's changes unseen in a century, ensuring economic security is crucial for continuously enhancing China's economic competitiveness, innovation, and risk resistance capabilities. The application of artificial intelligence, on the basis of promoting the optimization and upgrading of industrial structure, can increase the overall added value of the industry, enhance the diversity of industrial entities, reduce dependence on single markets or resources, improve the ability to respond to uncertainty, and thus enhance the resilience and safety level of industrial and supply chains. As artificial intelligence deeply integrates with the real economy, data security has become a holistic and systemic issue. The application of artificial intelligence helps build a safe and controllable technical framework, improve real-time response capabilities to cybersecurity threats through automated monitoring systems, prevent network risks such as data leakage and hacker attacks, and ensure information security in various fields.

为保障经济安全提供支撑。随着世界百年变局加速演进，保障经济安全对于不断增强我国经济竞争力、创新力、抗风险能力至关重要。人工智能的应用，能够在促进产业结构优化升级的基础上，提高产业整体附加值，增强产业主体的多元性，减少对单一市场或资源的依赖程度，提升应对不确定性的能力，从而提升产业链供应链韧性与安全水平。随着人工智能与实体经济深度融合，数据安全已成为全局性、系统性问题。人工智能应用有助于构建安全可控的技术框架，通过自动化监控系统，提高对网络安全威胁的实时响应能力，防范数据泄露、黑客攻击等网络风险，确保各领域信息安全。

It lays the foundation for improving the inclusiveness of development. As an important force empowering new quality productive forces, artificial intelligence improves the inclusiveness of development by improving resource allocation and service efficiency. For example, in the field of rural revitalization, [4]4 Rural revitalization (乡村振兴) is a national strategy of the CPC to promote the development of rural areas, improve living standards, and achieve common prosperity. artificial intelligence, through big data analysis and intelligent algorithms, provides more accurate demand forecasting and resource allocation plans for poverty-alleviated areas, helps increase farmers' income, and improve local production and living conditions. In the field of education, artificial intelligence, through personalized teaching, intelligent tutoring and other means, improves the universality and fairness of educational resources. In terms of public services, applying artificial intelligence to fields such as data governance and intelligent decision-making can improve the efficiency and accuracy of social governance, and help promote the modernization of national governance.

为提高发展的包容性打牢基础。作为赋能新质生产力的重要力量，人工智能通过改善资源配置和服务效率，提高发展的包容性。比如，在乡村振兴领域，人工智能通过大数据分析与智能算法，为脱贫地区提供更加精确的需求预测与资源分配方案，有助于提高农民收入，改善当地生产生活条件。在教育领域，人工智能通过个性化教学、智能辅导等手段，提高了教育资源的普及性与公平性。在公共服务方面，将人工智能运用于数据治理、智能决策等领域，能够提升社会治理效率和精确度，助力推动国家治理现代化。

Firmly grasp the major historical opportunity for the development of artificial intelligence.

牢牢把握人工智能发展的重大历史机遇

Currently, China's artificial intelligence development has entered a new stage. It should be clearly seen that there is still a gap between China's overall level of artificial intelligence development and that of developed countries. To implement the task proposed by the Central Economic Work Conference of "carrying out the 'AI+' action and cultivating future industries", it is necessary to actively plan, grasp the direction, seize the initiative, firmly grasp the major historical opportunity for the development of artificial intelligence, and accelerate the innovative development of artificial intelligence.

当前，我国人工智能发展进入新阶段。应当清醒看到，我国人工智能整体发展水平与发达国家相比仍存在差距。把中央经济工作会议提出的“开展‘人工智能+’行动，培育未来产业”任务落到实处，必须主动谋划、把握方向、抢占先机，牢牢把握人工智能发展的重大历史机遇，加快人工智能创新发展。

Build a healthy and complete industrial ecosystem. Innovation is the driving force of artificial intelligence development, and industry is the carrier of artificial intelligence development. It is necessary to establish a market-oriented innovation system, promote deep cooperation and synergy among multiple parties such as technology researchers, investors, and market participants, and form a digital innovation ecosystem with integrated development of industry, academia, research, and application. [5]5 "Industry, academia, research, and application" (产学研用) is a Chinese term for the integration of industrial enterprises, universities, research institutes, and application sectors to foster innovation and technology transfer. Build an industrial ecosystem centered on technology research and development, scenario application, and industrial upgrading, creating an interconnected and resource-sharing ecosystem. Based on the resource endowments and industrial foundations of various regions, formulate differentiated industrial cluster development strategies, and promote the characteristic development of local industrial clusters. Give full play to the leading role of leading enterprises in clusters, drive innovation and resource integration of upstream and downstream enterprises, enhance the overall competitiveness of clusters, encourage small and medium-sized enterprises to integrate into artificial intelligence industry clusters, and form competitive advantages in their respective segmented fields through collaborative innovation. Establish inter-regional collaborative development mechanisms, promote cross-regional exchange and promotion of artificial intelligence technologies, and gradually expand the application scenarios and coverage of "AI+".

构建健康完善的产业生态。创新是人工智能发展的动力，产业是人工智能发展的载体。要建立以市场为导向的创新体系，促进技术研发者、投资者、市场参与者等多方主体的深度合作与协同，形成产学研用一体化发展的数字创新生态体系。构建以技术研发、场景应用和产业升级为核心的产业生态，打造互联互通、资源共享的生态系统。依据各地区的资源禀赋与产业基础，制定差异化的产业集群发展战略，推动地方产业集群的特色化发展。充分发挥龙头企业在集群中的引领作用，带动上下游企业创新和资源整合，提升集群整体竞争力，鼓励中小企业融入人工智能产业集群，通过协同创新在各自细分领域形成竞争优势。建立区域间协同发展机制，促进人工智能技术跨区域交流推广，逐步扩大“人工智能+”的应用场景与覆盖范围。

Build an effective data factor market. Data is the core factor for developing artificial intelligence, driving technological innovation and industrial upgrading. Building an efficient, open and innovative data factor market is an important guarantee for the development of artificial intelligence. It is necessary to explore the establishment of a data property rights system, promote the structural separation and orderly circulation of data property rights, and coordinate the construction of standardized and efficient data trading venues. As an important part of social resources, public data plays an irreplaceable role in promoting the application and innovation of artificial intelligence. To this end, it is necessary to promote the implementation of a public data rights confirmation and authorization mechanism, further increase the openness of data, and for public data that does not carry personal information and does not affect public safety, promote the increase of supply and use scope according to the purpose. Respect the labor and other factor contributions of data processing personnel such as data collection and processing, and fully protect the rights of data processing personnel to use data and obtain income.

构建有效的数据要素市场。数据是发展人工智能、驱动技术创新和产业升级的核心要素。构建高效、开放和创新的数据要素市场，是人工智能发展的重要保障。要探索建立数据产权制度，推动数据产权结构性分置和有序流通，统筹构建规范高效的数据交易场所。公共数据作为社会资源的重要组成部分，在推动人工智能应用和创新方面具有不可替代的作用。为此，要推进实施公共数据确权授权机制，进一步加大数据开放力度，对不承载个人信息和不影响公共安全的公共数据，推动按用途加大供给使用范围。尊重数据采集、加工等数据处理者的劳动和其他要素贡献，充分保障数据处理者使用数据和获得收益的权利。

Build a multi-level talent cultivation system. Talent is the key to promoting the development of artificial intelligence, and the quantity and quality of talent directly affect the quality of artificial intelligence development. It is necessary to strengthen the reform of basic education and higher education for artificial intelligence, popularize basic knowledge of artificial intelligence at the primary and secondary school level, strengthen vocational training, focus on improving the digital literacy of workers, and adjust and optimize curriculum settings in colleges and universities according to the needs of artificial intelligence industry development. Optimize talent introduction policies, improve talent incentive mechanisms, attract and retain top global talents. Pay attention to the career development and subsequent guarantees of talents, so that more high-end talents can be brought in and retained, enhancing their sense of belonging and creativity. Actively promote cooperation and exchanges between domestic units and international organizations and overseas universities, and use global intellectual resources to promote the innovative development of China's artificial intelligence.

建设多层次的人才培养体系。人才是推动人工智能发展的关键，人才的数量和质量直接影响人工智能发展质量。要加强人工智能基础教育与高等教育改革，在中小学阶段加强人工智能基础知识普及，加强职业培训，着力提升劳动者数字素养，在高校根据人工智能产业发展的需求调整和优化课程设置。优化人才引进政策，完善人才激励机制，吸引并留住全球顶尖人才。重视人才的职业发展和后续保障，让更多高端人才能够引进来、留得下，增强其归属感与创造力。积极推动国内单位与国际组织、海外高校开展合作交流，利用全球智力资源推进我国人工智能创新发展。

Optimize artificial intelligence regulatory policies. While the rapid development of artificial intelligence brings major opportunities for economic development, it also raises new governance challenges. To this end, it is necessary to promote the standardized development of artificial intelligence and optimize regulatory policies. Improve the legal framework for data privacy protection, algorithm transparency, technical ethics, etc., clarify the red lines for technology development and application and the responsibility boundaries of each subject, and ensure the safety and fairness of technology. Establish multi-party participation communication mechanisms, establish cross-departmental and cross-field regulatory coordination mechanisms, and form synergy in technology research and development, data use, ethical evaluation, etc. Strengthen international cooperation, promote global rule coordination and technical standard unification, accelerate the construction of inclusive and prudent governance mechanisms, encourage all sectors to actively participate in the ethical and safety supervision of artificial intelligence, and ensure that the development of artificial intelligence technology conforms to human well-being.

优化人工智能监管政策。人工智能快速发展在给经济发展带来重大机遇的同时也提出了新的治理挑战。为此，要促进人工智能规范发展，优化监管政策。完善数据隐私保护、算法透明性、技术伦理等方面的法律框架，明确技术开发与应用红线和各主体责任边界，确保技术安全与公平性。建立多方参与的沟通机制，建立跨部门、跨领域的监管协调机制，在技术研发、数据使用、伦理评估等方面形成合力。加强国际合作，推动全球范围的规则协调和技术标准统一，加快构建包容审慎的治理机制，鼓励各界积极参与人工智能的伦理和安全监督，确保人工智能技术发展符合人类福祉。

(The author is a member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Vice President of Peking University)

（作者为北京大学党委常委、副校长）

Online editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧