Artificial intelligence is making strides in China’s manufacturing industry, according to a new report

In the first half of 2026, 34.2% of priority scenarios in China’s manufacturing industry were already using artificial intelligence, marking a 5.5 percentage point increase compared to the previous year. These findings were presented in a report at the World Manufacturing Industry Conference, held in Hefei, Anhui province.

The study also highlights the extent of digitalization within companies. Digital applications are used in 86.3% of research and development activities, 69.5% of production and manufacturing operations, and 81.4% of business management processes.

Nearly half of Chinese companies collaborate through digital networks, adopting models such as digital twins, integration between production chains, and intelligent production systems.

Large AI models are now being used by 10.6% of major manufacturers in innovation and business transformation processes.

The overall index measuring the integration of informatization and industrialization in the country reached 67.1 points in the first half of the year.

Anhui stands out as one of the provinces with the highest level of digital integration in industry, scoring 68.2 points. This places it fifth nationally and first among the provinces in central China.

The province also ranks fifth in the country for AI adoption in priority manufacturing scenarios and seventh for the use of large AI models by major industrial companies.

Source: gmw.cn