As we step into 2026, AI applications are ushering in large-scale implementation, with AI technology rapidly embedding itself into various end products and industrial scenarios. Against this backdrop, as of January 15th, the A-share AI application sector index has surged by a cumulative 18.30% since the start of the year.
Industry insiders predict that the AI industry is at a tipping point, transitioning from technological exploration to scaled commercialization, with 2026 poised to be a pivotal year for accelerated commercialization on the application side, heralding a period of rapid development for the industrial chain.
The deployment path for AI technology is evolving from the previous focus on "cloud-centric centralized" models towards an accelerated shift to "distributed edge-side" architectures, driven by breakthroughs in core technologies like large model compression, heterogeneous chips, and in-memory computing. In terminals ranging from smartphones, PCs, and wearables to cars, robots, and even toys, AI is moving decisively from "proof-of-concept" to "application training."
The accelerated commercialization of the humanoid robot industry is a significant manifestation of this trend. Since 2025, humanoid robots have reached an inflection point for commercialization, with the global industry on the 'eve' of a major embodied intelligence explosion; the industry believes humanoid robots have the potential to become the "next generation of mass-market intelligent terminals," following phones and cars.
Furthermore, with the application and innovation of large AI models in the media industry, the "AI + Media" concept has recently garnered significant capital favor, prompting positive responses from many listed companies. For instance, Guangdong Guangzhou Daily Media Co., Ltd. revealed on an interactive platform that it has completed the packaging and launch of the Guangbao AI Digital Human Platform and filed its Miaoyin AI Music large model; AI technology has already empowered full-case advertising marketing, achieving cost reduction and efficiency gains in video production and script generation, while also creating several AI-produced advertising short films and monetizing knowledge through AIGC training courses, continuously implementing its "Media + AI Marketing" business model.
A Guojin Securities research report posits that 2026 is the critical year for AI applications to transition from the technology validation phase to large-scale commercial promotion, asserting that the core logic of large models serving as dual hubs for traffic entry and commercialization has been fully validated.
The rapid deployment of AI on the application side is creating vast market opportunities for the industrial chain. According to China Securities estimates, the AI penetration rate in smartphones and PCs is expected to reach 45% and 62% respectively by 2026, with the edge-side AI market size projected to leap from 321.9 billion yuan in 2025 to 12.2 trillion yuan by 2029, representing a compound annual growth rate of 40%.
The 2025 performance forecasts for A-share listed companies are being released successively, revealing that many companies' earnings growth has already benefited from AI.
Shenzhen Daton Technology Co., Ltd. expects to achieve a net profit attributable to shareholders of 900 million to 930 million yuan in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 40.42% to 45.10%. Daton Technology stated that during the reporting period, the company fully embraced AI, using its digital-intelligent vehicle diagnostic terminals and smart energy hubs as business entry points to continuously provide intelligent services for global clients, driving rapid earnings growth.
Shenzhen Haopeng Technology Co., Ltd. is firmly advancing its "All in AI" strategy, comprehensively laying out in the field of AI edge-side hardware applications. The company's released 2025 annual performance forecast shows expected operating revenue for the period of 5.7 billion to 6 billion yuan, an increase of 11.58% to 17.45% year-on-year; net profit attributable to shareholders is projected to be between 195 million and 220 million yuan, surging by 113.69% to 141.09% year-on-year.
On January 13th, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology released the "Action Plan for Promoting High-Quality Development of the Industrial Internet Platform (2026-2028)." The plan mentions implementing an industrial integration and empowerment action between the Industrial Internet and AI, guiding platform enterprises to rapidly enhance the AI literacy and skills of all employees, promoting the penetration of AI technology throughout the entire industrial chain, popularizing discriminative AI applications in scenarios with relatively clear rules like production control and risk identification, and exploring generative AI practices in scenarios with more complex requirements like process optimization and solution design.
Furthermore, to accelerate the integration of AI with the real economy and promote the intelligent transformation of manufacturing, the MIIT and seven other departments recently jointly issued the "Implementation Opinions on the Special Action for 'AI + Manufacturing'," aiming to foster two-way empowerment between AI technology and manufacturing applications, and accelerate the intelligent, green, and integrated development of manufacturing.
The industry believes that, bolstered by policy impetus, AI technology will deeply integrate with manufacturing. As AI technology permeates industrial applications more profoundly, the commercialization of AI business in vertical scenarios will become a key strategic focus for listed companies, also propelling AI business into a new phase of value realization.
Guo Tao, Deputy Director of the China E-Commerce Expert Service Center, stated: "Currently, some leading companies, when deploying AI technology for manufacturing applications, are targeting specific vertical scenarios, such as quality inspection in industry, e-commerce tools in enterprise services, and hardware component production in computing power. These scenarios have clear pain points, and the integration of AI technology can directly solve practical industry problems."
Lin Xianping, Deputy Secretary-General of the Standing Committee of the China Urban Expert Think Tank Council, commented: "Policy support for AI has shifted from 'framework guidance' to 'scenario empowerment.' Policies such as procurement preferences and supporting incentives for vertical-specific AI products alleviate the cost pressures during the initial commercialization phase for enterprises; simultaneously, the rapid advancement of intelligent computing infrastructure provides the underlying computational power support for AI applications, further lowering the hardware barriers for technology implementation."
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