The number of users engaging with AI-based solutions in China exceeded 230 million by the end of June, according to SCMP citing data from CNNIC.
The most popular product is Ernie, an AI chatbot developed by Baidu, which accounts for 11.5% of users. Ernie offers functionalities such as generating text in Chinese and other languages, data analysis, summarization, content creation, coding assistance, image generation, and other AI-driven tasks similar to its global counterparts.
ChatGPT by OpenAI is used by 7% of Chinese users, while Gemini by Google holds 3.8% of the market share. Both services are officially unavailable in mainland China, highlighting the creative workarounds users have implemented. Approximately one in six Chinese citizens actively engage with AI-based products.
Two-thirds of users rely on large language models for answering queries, while the rest use AI tools as professional assistants.
AI Development in China
As of November, 309 AI-powered services are registered in China, with Beijing hosting 96 and Shanghai 84. Major Chinese tech firms, including Baidu, Tencent, and Alibaba, have launched their own proprietary AI solutions.
However, Chinese companies face challenges due to U.S. restrictions, including a ban on exporting advanced GPUs to China. This creates hardware limitations that hinder further AI advancements.
Despite these obstacles, innovation continues. Alibaba recently unveiled Qwen2-Math, a model focused on solving complex mathematical problems that the company claims outperforms GPT-4 and Claude 3.5. In July, Kuaishou introduced its video generation AI model, Kling, making it available to the public.
China’s Leadership in AI Adoption
China remains at the forefront of adopting generative AI, as evidenced by the sheer scale of its user base and the rapid development of AI-driven technologies across industries. In 2023, Chinese companies secured a leading position globally in implementing AI solutions, reinforcing their dominance in this transformative field.
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