China's generative artificial intelligence (AI) user base surpassed 700 million in the first half of this year. The scale of intelligent computing increased by 177% over the past year, and the number of humanoid robots exceeded 400.
According to the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) in its 'Generative AI Application Development Report (2026)' released on September 30, the number of generative AI users in China exceeded 700 million as of the end of June, reaching a penetration rate of 50%. This marks an increase of nearly 100 million users compared to December of the previous year, when the figure stood at 620 million (42.8% penetration).
As of June, the scale of intelligent computing reached 2,185 exaflops, a 177% increase from the previous year. The first domestically developed AI supercluster, consisting of 100,000 cards with core hardware and software technologies, has also begun operations.
Among manufacturers with annual revenues exceeding 20 million yuan (approximately $5.5 million), the application rate of AI technology has surpassed 30%. A total of 16 national-level advanced manufacturing clusters have been established in the digital industry, including integrated circuits and AI. In June, the State Council included the use of AI and the promotion of smart agriculture in its 15th five-year plan for agricultural and rural modernization.
The report noted that physical AI robots are expanding their applications in industrial production, medical surgeries, and daily services. In the first half of this year, the number of humanoid robots produced in China exceeded 400, with annual production expected to surpass 100,000 units.
In the field of humanoid robots, China demonstrated significant strength. According to statistics from the five major patent offices (IP5), China filed 1,584 humanoid patent applications in the first half of this year, far outpacing the United States (113 applications) and South Korea (35 applications). China's market share rose from 51.8% in 2024 to 60.8% in the first half of this year, while the U.S. share fell from 27.3% to 21.8%, and South Korea's share dropped from 6.3% to 4.6%.
Model and data supply have also increased. The report indicated that local companies such as DeepSeek and Moonshot AI have released open-source large language models with trillions of parameters. These domestic models are being utilized in product development and quality inspection across key industries such as steel, non-ferrous metals, power, and telecommunications. More than 120,000 high-quality datasets have been established.
Policy and funding flows have also supported this growth. The report highlighted that China's generative AI policy focus has shifted from 'technological assault' to a dual approach of 'field application' and 'normative governance.' The State Council's 'AI+' action plan has prompted various ministries to roll out follow-up policies. In the first half of this year, there were 1,255 AI-related investments totaling approximately 250.14 billion yuan (about $35 billion), representing increases of 78% in the number of cases and 182% in the amount compared to the previous year.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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