A recent national conference on industry and information technology outlined ten key tasks for 2026, proposing the advancement of an "AI + Manufacturing" special initiative to cultivate a group of key industry-specific intelligent agents and AI-native enterprises. The Central Economic Work Conference held earlier also emphasized deepening and expanding the "AI +" concept, with "AI + Manufacturing" being a primary domain. China's manufacturing sector has maintained its position as the world's largest for 15 consecutive years, while its AI technology is globally leading. If these two advantages can be synergistically integrated to unleash a multiplier effect, it will inject powerful momentum into building a manufacturing powerhouse and a cyber powerhouse.
AI serves as a crucial bridge for deeply integrating technological innovation and industrial innovation. From the perspective of technological innovation, AI is a strategic technology leading the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation. As a general-purpose technology, AI permeates the entire innovation chain, from basic research to application development. It can enhance the speed and breadth of technological innovation through improvements in computing power, algorithm optimization, and the flow of data elements. From the standpoint of industrial innovation, AI exhibits a strong "leading goose" effect with significant spillover potential, enabling widespread application and empowerment across most industries. This, in turn, compels technological innovation to focus on industrial pain points, transforming technological variables into industrial increments.
"AI + Manufacturing" is poised to become a demonstration scenario for the deep integration of technological and industrial innovation. On one hand, AI comprehensively permeates all aspects of manufacturing, including R&D design, production, warehousing and logistics, and after-sales service. This leads to faster R&D iteration, smarter production, and more user-friendly products, driving the transformation of manufacturing from traditional experience-driven to data-and-intelligence-driven. On the other hand, the manufacturing sector, with its rich application scenarios and diverse industrial characteristics, provides a vast and complex testing ground for AI. This forces AI to continuously innovate and break through in areas like industrial-grade reliability and scenario adaptability, thereby generating a synergistic effect where technological innovation empowers industrial upgrading and industrial demand pulls technological iteration.
China possesses unique comprehensive advantages in advancing "AI + Manufacturing." The first is a complete industrial foundation. The country not only has the world's most comprehensive industrial system but also a complete AI industry system spanning from the foundational to the application layers. This dual completeness creates a natural synergy and complementarity: the industrial system provides a vast arena for AI technology, while the AI industry system empowers the industrial system with upgrading capabilities. The second advantage is abundant application scenarios. With 41 major industrial categories and a super-large market, China offers massive and diverse landing scenarios for AI technology, accelerating its iteration and maturation. Third, strong policy and infrastructure support help clear obstacles for integrated development. Fourth, a collaborative and efficient innovation ecosystem has formed a rapid channel from technology R&D to market application.
"AI + Manufacturing" is not a simple addition. In many manufacturing enterprises, some only apply AI technology to a single link or scenario, others struggle with internal data flow, some collect data but fail to analyze and apply it, and some blindly copy AI application solutions from other companies. These are all manifestations of a simplistic additive approach. Although the technology is new, the production models and value creation methods remain old. Behind this lie reasons such as corporate cognition and cost pressures, as well as challenges at the technical level and in industrial matching.
To unleash the multiplier effect of "AI + Manufacturing," a shift from physical splicing to chemical fusion is necessary. This means not merely applying AI as a tool in isolated segments, but rather using AI to catalyze a chemical reaction among data, knowledge, processes, and the workforce within manufacturing. It involves reorganizing production factors, reconstructing production models, and achieving a revolutionary leap in productivity. This requires breaking down data silos, adapting technology to sink down and meet industrial needs, and using ecological collaboration to overcome bottlenecks in technology transformation. Only by pushing manufacturing enterprises from technology application towards model innovation can AI evolve from simply replacing labor to creating more new quality productive forces.
This deep integration will determine the pace and quality of China's transition from a large manufacturing country to a manufacturing powerhouse. Strengthening the technology supply, optimizing scenario empowerment, and deeply embedding the intelligent brain of AI into the massive framework of Chinese manufacturing will open a new door, guiding Chinese manufacturing towards a future that is more intelligent, flexible, and sustainable.
