Serve, not replace. Chinese AI puts humans at the center of its strategy.
Exoskeleton display at the 2026 World Home Appliances and Electronics Exhibition (AWE 2026) in Shanghai, March 12, 2026
“How much can AI agents make our lives easier? » This question has gone viral in China. During the period of the recent Two Sessions, this digital excitement was palpable: while citizens rushed to discover the latest application innovations, social networks were ignited around the protection of personal data and the ethics of these new tools.
This mixture of enthusiasm and distrust alone sums up the central place of AI in discussions this year. Beyond technological prowess, a question runs through all the debates: in this tide of algorithms, how can we guarantee that technology remains at the service of humans?
Serving people
Asked about the future of AI on the sidelines of the fourth session of the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) on March 5, Minister of Industry and Information Technology Li Lecheng laid down a clear principle: AI must be a tool “used by man, in the service of man and controlled by man.” This “people-centered” orientation has become the key to deciphering Chinese strategy, garnering broad consensus among NPC deputies and members of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).
Faced with concerns, members of the CPPCC National Committee from the technology community wanted to move the cursor: AI does not pit man against machine, but reinvents the value of work around two pillars: liberation and service. Qi Xiangdong, member of the CPPCC National Committee and chairman of the QAX cybersecurity group, emphasized in an interview with China Now that technology is not aimed at replacing humans, but at relieving them of menial tasks to allow them to invest their creativity where they are irreplaceable.
This vision finds a concrete illustration with Zhang Yunquan, member of the CPPCC National Committee and researcher at the Institute of Computer Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who has focused on the challenge of population aging. He recalled that in China, more than 90% of elderly people choose to live at home or in their community. “Developing assistive domestic robots to support this lifestyle is not only a business opportunity, but also a social responsibility,” he insisted.
As Wang Jian, member of the CPPCC National Committee and member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said, the ultimate goal of AI is to “re-enchant everyday life.” Simplifying complexity, integrating sophisticated technologies into discrete services, this is what gives technology its humanity.
A humanoid robot for agricultural production at the AI Park of Zhongyuan Technology City in Zhengzhou, Henan, March 8, 2026.
Avoiding the technology gap
These optimistic prospects do not, however, erase the scale of the upheavals to come. AI, by hitting intellectual work hard, has revived debates on social structure and the destiny of individuals.
Zhang Yunquan thus observes a historic rupture: the real challenge will no longer only be to create wealth, but to distribute it. “When AI becomes the dominant productive force, how can we avoid the “winner takes all” effect and ensure sharing of the benefits of automation? This is the social question that awaits us,” he noted.
This macroeconomic development will eventually have repercussions on each individual. Qi Xiangdong put forward a thesis that invites reflection: the decisive divide will probably no longer be between man and machine, but between “those who master AI” and “those who do not master it”. So what is the solution? NPC deputies and members of the CPPCC National Committee agreed that it was necessary to move from “anxiety of substitution” to “reflection on empowerment through AI”.
Zhang Xiaolun, member of the CPPCC National Committee and chairman of China National Machinery Industry Corporation, took a systemic view, recalling that “localized eliminations” are necessary for “comprehensive valorization”. He cited the example of the automobile, which replaced horse-drawn carriages and their drivers but created many more jobs in transport. According to him, even if AI affects intellectual work this time, the logic remains the same: technological progress always ends up creating more value and jobs. “Each generation reinvents its way of working and the social system ends up finding balance. »
The point of view of Ding Kuiling, academician and president of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, is even clearer: AI is above all a tool for empowerment, not a substitute. The vast majority of professions will not disappear, but will undergo a profound transformation. In areas such as justice or decision-making, AI will allow professionals to become augmented versions of themselves.
This reminds us that proactive adaptation and continuous learning are essential for personal development. For Lian Yuming, a member of the CPPCC National Committee and founding president of the Beijing Urban Development Institute, the key is to help workers upgrade their skills – mastering change rather than enduring it. This is what he calls “value transfer”.
Integration and shared governance
In search of solutions, NPC deputies and members of the CPPCC National Committee converged on two priorities: “integration” and “shared governance”. Their common goal is to promote deep integration of AI with the real economy.
“The development of AI is not driven by technology, but by demand and application scenarios,” Qi Xiangdong emphasized. An opinion shared by experts: on this path, China has major assets, including massive data, abundant scenarios and a complete industrial system. The figures from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology speak for themselves: last year, the number of downloads of open source AI models ranked first in the world; AI has penetrated more than 30% of the manufacturing sector; more than 300 models of humanoid robots have been launched. The logic is clear: AI is not an abstract concept, it must be integrated into reality to solve concrete problems.
Transforming these assets into success requires synergy between technological and industrial innovation, market vitality and political vision. In this regard, this year’s Government Activity Report proposes for the first time to “improve measures to adapt employment and business creation to the development of AI”. This signal indicates that, while promoting technological development, we must strive to provide a safety net for ordinary people, so that no one is left behind as the train of modernity soars.
At the same time, the construction of a governance system is progressing. In terms of cybersecurity, data security and protection of personal information, China is deploying a comprehensive legal framework, laying the foundations for “responsible AI”. There is now consensus, from the State to industry, that only safe, reliable and controllable technologies will win public trust.
The enthusiasm for new AI agents testifies to this: society aspires to be liberated by technology, but not ousted by it. In this “race of the century” – in the words of Qi Xiangdong – patience is crucial. The ultimate goal remains to make AI a partner that helps everyone bridge the skills gap, explore their potential and find their place in this changing world.
