China is home to over 5,100 AI companies, accounting for roughly 15% of the global total. Additionally, China boasts 71 AI unicorns, representing about 26% of the world's 271, according to data from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT).
Listed companies and unicorns are identified as major engines for China's AI industry. There are over 300 AI-related listed companies in China, whose AI-related revenue constitutes about 70% of the country's total AI industry scale, according to CAICT.
The top five innovation fields for Chinese AI unicorns are large models, autonomous driving, intelligent robots, business intelligence applications and AI computing chips.
Yu Xiaohui, President of CAICT, noted that the rapid iteration of foundational large models this year, along with new technological approaches, demonstrates significant potential for advancing towards Artificial General Intelligence."
He said that a positive development landscape has taken shape in China, characterized by leading companies, rising unicorns, specialized firms, and emerging startups.
China's AI industry is expanding rapidly, fueled by a continuous stream of new technologies, applications, and business models. It has become a key growth driver for high-quality economic and social development, Yu said.
