On December 5, the Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology issued a notice announcing the first batch of proposed funding projects for the 2025 plan to build Shenzhen into a pioneer city in artificial intelligence. The announcement stated that, in accordance with relevant requirements, the bureau has completed the application, acceptance, and review processes for the 2025 national "Unveiling the List and Appointing the Commander" supporting projects, AI software open-source reward projects, and high-end exhibition/forum/competition projects. The "Public Notice List of Proposed Funding Projects for the 2025 Plan to Build an AI Pioneer City (First Batch)" is now being publicized.
Notably, New Wisdom Future, a subsidiary of Shenzhen's representative AI company TenFong Ronghai Technology Co., Ltd., has been successfully selected for the AI software open-source reward special project with its self-developed "xiaozhi-esp32 open-source large model" (i.e., "Xiaozhi AI"). It is reported that to implement the municipal party committee and government's planning and deployment for the "20+8" strategic emerging industrial clusters and future industrial development, and to promote the high-quality development of the AI industrial cluster, the Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology issued the "Operational Procedures for the Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology's Project Support Plan to Build an AI Pioneer City" in March 2025. This plan focuses on areas such as computing power support, foundational data, AI software, AI products, and AI services, supporting 10 project types including national "Unveiling the List"配套 support. After nine months of applications, acceptance, and review, the first batch of proposed funding projects has finally been announced.
Policy empowerment is activating a new ecosystem for AI innovation. Currently, artificial intelligence is reshaping the global industrial landscape at an unprecedented pace, and the "AI+" initiative has been elevated to a national strategy. Against this backdrop, the Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, closely aligned with national strategy, is rewarding open-source projects with high downloads, superior performance, and significant influence. The funding standards involve tiered rewards for eligible projects, with first-class projects receiving up to 1 million yuan, second-class projects up to 600,000 yuan, and third-class projects up to 300,000 yuan. The total number of first, second, and third-class projects combined shall not exceed 20 per year. This policy precisely addresses the pain points of AI tech companies, namely high computing costs and long R&D cycles, converting financial subsidies into strong support for corporate technological innovation and injecting powerful momentum into Shenzhen's deep advancement of the "20+8" strategic emerging industrial clusters and the high-quality development of the AI industrial cluster.
Technological innovation is reconstructing the AI industry value chain through an open-source ecosystem. As an innovation-driven technology company centered on artificial intelligence, TenFong Ronghai has adhered to the philosophy of "openness, sharing, and co-creation" since the early stages of R&D, freely opening the core capabilities of Xiaozhi AI to global developers. This strategic move quickly activated the developer ecosystem, skyrocketing to first place on GitHub's Trending list upon release and attracting massive active participation from developers. It is understood that this large model's architecture has attracted over 100,000 developers globally, integrated 1 million hardware devices, and handles up to 9 million daily dialogues. Its application scenarios cover vital public sectors such as smart education, elderly care and health, and accessibility services, forming a complete cycle of "technology R&D - ecosystem co-construction - scenario implementation," providing a replicable "Shenzhen Model" for the democratization of AI technology.
However, with the rapid growth in model adoption, the company also faces significant cost pressures. The head of R&D for TenFong Ronghai's Xiaozhi AI revealed that the company's operations rely heavily on numerous models, with current monthly costs exceeding one million yuan, primarily concentrated in model usage, leading to an annual investment already in the tens of millions. With user growth, daily token consumption is now approaching 30 billion, causing model usage to surge sharply and cost pressures to become increasingly significant. Being selected for the first batch of proposed funding projects under the Shenzhen Bureau of Industry and Information Technology's 2025 AI Pioneer City support plan is not only a timely rain for the company but also a strong stimulant, encouraging continued deep cultivation of the AI open-source ecosystem. Review experts pointed out that the breakthrough of the "xiaozhi-esp32 open-source large model" Xiaozhi AI lies in using an open-source ecosystem to break down technical barriers and using deep scenario integration to validate technological value.
Putting people's livelihoods first, technological warmth is reshaping social service models. Against the global backdrop of AI governance shifting from "principle discussions" to "rule implementation," TenFong Ronghai has integrated "humanistic care" into its technological innovation DNA. Addressing the pain points of an aging society, the system utilizes core advantages like millisecond-level real-time feedback and ultra-realistic voice dialogue to endow device terminals with "thinking and perception" capabilities, precisely matching the social and cognitive needs of the elderly. For people with disabilities, the barrier-free interaction system uses voiceprint recognition and emotional interaction technologies to provide equal communication channels. In the education sector, open-source technology is integrated into school curricula, aiding the cultivation of digital skills talent and promoting educational equity. "The ultimate value of AI lies in solving real human problems." TenFong Ronghai's practices undoubtedly provide a replicable model for "Technology for Good."
The competition in artificial intelligence is far from a short-term sprint; it is a comprehensive marathon involving ecosystems, talent, and the depth of application scenarios—a protracted battle concerning industrial foundations, innovation resilience, and social well-being. As the core engine of technological innovation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Shenzhen is leveraging its open ecosystem, deep application capabilities, and global connectivity to accelerate AI's journey from the laboratory to thousands of industries. With the iterative upgrades of open-source systems like Xiaozhi AI, China's global influence in artificial intelligence will be further enhanced, steadily advancing in the dual dimensions of technological sovereignty and industrial ecology.
