China pushes AI adoption to bolster software competitiveness

Beijing (ANTARA) - China has launched a special action plan to accelerate the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into the software industry and information technology services, with the aim of reshaping the sector’s core competitiveness.

The plan, released by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, outlines a two-stage roadmap.

By 2028, China aims to significantly enhance the intelligence level of its software industry by developing high-standard coding tools and development platforms, as well as expanding their use to more than 20,000 major software companies.

Meanwhile, the plan also calls for the development of 100 benchmark applications for agent-based software across key industries and the incubation of at least five high-quality open-source projects.

The plan projects significant breakthroughs in AI integration within the software sector, through comprehensive smart upgrades across critical software systems by 2030. AI-based programming, agent software, and smart services are expected to emerge as new growth engines, supported by open-source communities and internationally competitive industrial clusters.

Currently, AI is fundamentally transforming how software is developed, the nature of the products produced, and the delivery of services, making it a core engine driving industrial advancement.

The action plan is the latest step in a series of policy measures as China rapidly endeavours to integrate AI across all sectors of its economy.

Government work reports have deployed the “AI Plus” initiative for three consecutive years, and this year specifically called for the “creation of new forms of smart economy” for the first time.

Analysts note that AI has evolved from being merely a supporting tool to becoming a core engine of economic transformation, which will systematically reshape the foundations of how the economy operates.

Authorities predict that AI-related sectors in China will surpass a total combined value of 10 trillion yuan (1 yuan = Rp2,614) by 2030.