AI key force for high-quality growth

As global manufacturing rapidly shifts toward digitalization and intelligent development, the deep integration of artificial intelligence into the sector has become a key driving force for high-quality development and a key battleground in global tech competition, said Zhang Fan, a deputy to the National People's Congress.

Zhang, who is also director of the science and technology innovation department of China Electrical Equipment Group Co Ltd, highlighted the rapid evolution of AI technologies — including large language models, generative AI and embodied AI — saying that they are reshaping global industrial competition and integrating into various industries.

"With the rise of domestic companies like DeepSeek and Unitree Robotics, AI is being pushed toward an era of democratization, breaking the monopoly of Western tech giants and fueling rapid advancements in AI-powered devices such as smart glasses and robots," he said during an exclusive interview with China Daily.