AI industry in China gaining global influence

China had contributed 70.9 percent of the world's patents in artificial intelligence by 2021 with 5.3 percent of the world's professionals in the field, showing China's growing global influence in the AI industry, experts said on Friday.

"The data illustrated that China's AI industry has been gaining more importance in the world," said Zhang Li, president of China Center for Information Industry Development, adding that China's AI patents had surged to 80,785 by end of 2021 from 7,968 as of 2012.

In the past decade, China had launched many favorable policies to promote AI research and development, talent training and applications, thus fueling such rapid growth. It has also been exploring new paths for AI development and mechanisms to let AI technology better serve the economy, said Zhang.