The number of generative artificial intelligence users in China reached 602 million as of December, an increase of nearly 142 percent since the end of 2024, according to a report released Thursday.
A report released by the Policy and International Cooperation Department of the China Internet Network Information Center said that the use of generative AI is rapidly being incorporated into daily life and production fields, and has emerged as a key driver of China’s digitalization and intelligentization.
By the end of last year, 457 million people used AI to answer questions, 288 million used it to generate images or videos, and 184 million used it as a personal assistant, the report said.
The report says that while young people remain the main users of generative AI, adoption is increasing among middle-aged and older adults. Students account for more than 30% of AI users, followed by business owners, employees, and individual entrepreneurs.
“This trend shows that the rapid advancement of AI is expanding its user base from technical experts to the general public, and the application scenarios for AI products and services are significantly expanding from everyday life to office tasks and more,” the report said.
As AI becomes more deeply integrated into work and daily life, it can also help small and medium-sized businesses address challenges related to research and development, high costs, and inefficiencies.
The report notes that more and more small and medium-sized enterprises are working on AI applications, with 254,000 new AI software development SMEs established in the first quarter of 2025 alone.
According to the report, AI is making significant inroads into fields such as finance, medicine, education, and logistics, and the expansion of service usage scenarios is accelerating.
Given the rapid growth of technology, China is stepping up efforts to strengthen AI governance. Last year, 446 generative AI services were registered with China’s top internet regulator, the Cyberspace Administration of China.
According to the report, a series of AI-related regulations, policies and guidelines were introduced by government agencies during the same period with the aim of strengthening public safety governance while fostering technological innovation.
“We need to seize the strategic opportunities presented by AI development, while recognizing the importance of strengthening technology governance and ethical standards to ensure safe, reliable and sustainable growth in AI,” the report concludes.
caoyin@chinadaily.com.cn
