The State Council Information Office recently hosted a press conference emphasizing significant achievements in industrial and information technology development anticipated by 2025. Xie Cun, Director of the Information and Communication Development Department at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, provided a detailed overview of rapid advancements in integrating advanced technologies—especially artificial intelligence (AI)—into industrial manufacturing. Xie highlighted that AI has now been incorporated into over 70 percent of business scenarios in leading smart factories nationwide. This extensive adoption has transformed manufacturing workflows, enabling unprecedented efficiency and intelligence. AI-driven solutions have evolved smart manufacturing beyond basic automation toward more autonomous and intelligent systems, enhancing production capabilities significantly. A major accomplishment discussed was the creation of more than 6, 000 vertical domain models—specialized AI algorithms tailored to specific industries and manufacturing scenarios. These models facilitate highly customized and precise solutions, addressing unique sectoral requirements and optimizing industrial operations. Moreover, AI’s application has spurred large-scale use of over 1, 700 types of intelligent manufacturing equipment and industrial software. These advanced tools, equipped with AI capabilities, perform complex tasks with improved accuracy and adaptability, raising technological standards and boosting productivity and product quality within factories. Xie also noted the development of numerous industrial intelligent agents endowed with perception, decision-making, and execution functions.

These sophisticated AI systems autonomously sense their environment, analyze data, and execute actions with minimal human intervention, marking a significant step toward more efficient and error-resistant smart manufacturing. This evolution from traditional automation—which focused on mechanizing repetitive tasks—to autonomous smart manufacturing involves dynamic decision-making, adaptability, and real-time responsiveness. Such systems enable factories to self-optimize, self-adapt, and self-heal, fostering sustainable and resilient production ecosystems. These milestones reflect the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s strategic efforts to advance China’s manufacturing capabilities into the Industry 4. 0 era. Leveraging AI and related technologies, China aims to boost industrial competitiveness, foster innovation, and drive economic growth. Looking forward, the Ministry plans to continue promoting research, development, and deployment of cutting-edge industrial technologies. Focus will be placed on expanding AI applications in emerging fields and ensuring intelligent manufacturing systems are scalable, secure, and environmentally sustainable. Through these advancements, China aspires to become a global leader in intelligent manufacturing, contributing to industrial modernization and societal progress. In summary, by 2025, AI integration into manufacturing has achieved remarkable progress, as outlined by Xie Cun. With AI embedded in the majority of leading smart factories, supported by extensive vertical models, advanced intelligent equipment, and autonomous industrial agents, the transition from automated to autonomous smart manufacturing is well underway, ushering in a new era of industrial innovation and efficiency.