The Chinese government has unveiled a new strategy to combat economic slowdown and weak domestic demand by promoting artificial intelligence (AI) across various sectors of daily life. The initiative aims to stimulate consumer spending beyond just industrial applications.
On June 18, the Ministry of Commerce and seven other government agencies released a set of guidelines titled "Implementation Opinions on Accelerating AI+ Consumer Development." The document outlines 17 measures to expand the consumption of goods and services.
The policy focuses on integrating AI into everyday life. The government plans to extend the use of humanoid robots, previously limited to factories and warehouses, into homes and commercial spaces to foster new consumer markets.
AI applications in the service sector will also see significant expansion. The initiative encourages the introduction of nursing and rehabilitation robots in elderly care facilities, while in the tourism and hospitality sectors, AI will be utilized to streamline hotel check-in processes for foreign guests.
The retail and logistics sectors are set to maximize efficiency through AI-driven digital transformation. Additionally, plans include establishing AI experience centers and industrial clusters, along with consumer support and incentive programs to lower barriers to entry for consumers.
Local experts view this move as a means to secure new growth drivers following the rise of electric vehicles and renewable energy. Lin Jian, deputy director of the International Trade and Economic Cooperation Research Institute at the Ministry of Commerce, stated, "The introduction of AI will provide a breakthrough to overcome the limitations of service consumption, which have been constrained by high labor costs and low standardization."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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