Title: Government Work Report Emphasizes Accelerating Development of New Productive Forces Through Artificial Intelligence
As the government work report for this year is released, a strong emphasis is placed on promoting the construction of a modern industrial system and accelerating the development of new productive forces. Among the key initiatives outlined in the report is the further promotion of the innovative development of the digital economy, with a particular focus on advancing artificial intelligence technologies.
The report highlights the importance of formulating policies to support the high-quality development of the digital economy, actively promoting digital industrialization and industrial digitization, and facilitating the integration of digital technology with the real economy. By deepening research and development applications of big data, artificial intelligence, and other emerging technologies, the government aims to propel the “artificial intelligence +” action forward.
With the collaboration of technology, policy, and industry, the government envisions that this push for artificial intelligence technologies will accelerate innovation and inject momentum into the cultivation and development of new productive forces.
The development of new productive forces has been identified as a crucial focus in promoting high-quality development. The digital economy has emerged as a significant force driving the rapid growth of new productive forces. With abundant application scenarios and extensive data resources, China’s digital economy has experienced substantial growth in recent years. By 2022, the scale of the country’s digital economy is projected to reach 50.2 trillion yuan, comprising 41.5% of the GDP. This figure is expected to rise to 56.1 trillion yuan by 2023.
Artificial intelligence has been identified as a key engine for advancing the digital economy. In the past year, a wave of artificial intelligence innovations, particularly in generative artificial intelligence, has accelerated integration with the real economy. This integration has empowered industries across various sectors, including healthcare, education, finance, and manufacturing.
The widespread application of artificial intelligence has resulted in cost reductions, quality improvements, and efficiency enhancements across various industries. For example, leading agricultural enterprise Tieqi Lishi has utilized AI intelligent customer service to streamline interactions with farmers, improving process efficiency, per capita income, and order delivery rates. In manufacturing, chip design company Aiwei Electronics has deployed AI intelligent customer service to provide round-the-clock support and free up technical experts for more specialized tasks.
Looking ahead, the government projects significant growth in intelligent applications powered by artificial intelligence. IDC predicts explosive growth in intelligent applications with over 500 million new applications by 2024. The CCID Research Institute forecasts that generative AI will contribute nearly 90 trillion yuan in economic value by 2035, with China leading the way.
As the digital economy continues to evolve, the government encourages further innovation in digital technologies and research and development efforts. By leveraging the power of “artificial intelligence +,” new digital solutions tailored for industry applications are expected to emerge. With the creation of innovative application scenarios and product forms, the government anticipates a profound transformation in the integration of digital technologies with the real economy, paving the way for a “digital intelligence future.”
Zhang Jun, the author of this article, is the dean of the School of Economics at Fudan University and the deputy dean of the Fudan Development Research Institute.