The current global discourse on artificial intelligence focuses largely on chatbots, large language models and the fierce market competition among tech giants. However, the most profound transformation is not visible on our screens; it is unfolding in factories, agricultural fields and hospitals.
The critical question now is not just which company has developed the most advanced AI model but how AI will reshape the productive capabilities of industry, agriculture, energy and healthcare. And, who will gain from this surge in productivity? Will technology serve humanity, or will it be dictated by the profit motives of a few corporations?
China's approach to AI offers an inspiring and instructive model for the world, providing a comprehensive, pragmatic and human-centric answer to these questions.
China's "AI Plus" action plan, adopted by the State Council in August 2025, outlines this holistic vision. The strategy positions AI not just as a tool for the tech sector but as a foundational element integrated across science, industry, agriculture, public administration, and healthcare.
In the manufacturing sector, AI is being embedded into every stage — from design and pilot testing to mass production and operations. Digital twins simulate production lines before factories are built; machine vision ensures flawless quality control; and predictive algorithms anticipate machine failures before they occur. AI is evolving from an external software purchase to the very nervous system of the production process, marking a revolutionary leap in productive forces.
China's AI advantage is not due to algorithms alone. It rests on four pillars: a comprehensive industry supply chain, vast real-world production data, a robust engineering capacity to scale lab innovations into mass production, and the seamless alignment of government, academia, and industry.
This ecosystem fosters a powerful feedback loop: production generates data that enhances AI models, which in turn optimize production. This synergy is at the core of China's concept of "new quality productive forces". In practical terms, this means using innovation to produce higher-quality goods with less energy and fewer raw materials, while freeing workers from heavy, dangerous, and repetitive tasks.
Therefore, the debate should not be reduced to "Will AI replace humans?" but rather, "How can we design a harmonious division of labor between humans and machines that elevates human well-being?" In China's paradigm, technological progress is not an end in itself; it is valuable only if it enhances production, social welfare and national development.
To sustain this transformation, China is fundamentally reorganizing its education system. The "education power construction plan 2024-35" explicitly links educational outcomes with the country's modernization goals. Traditional barriers between universities and factories are being dismantled.
Joint research platforms are being established to integrate engineering with medicine, agriculture and AI. More importantly, vocational education is being elevated from a secondary track to a cornerstone of technological modernization. Companies actively participate in curriculum design and students are trained in real production environments.
This is crucial because the digital transformation cannot succeed without tacit knowledge in humans. If we cannot translate a master weaver's eye for fabric defects, a technician's ability to diagnose a machine by its sound, or a farmer's intuition about soil conditions into digital systems, we will fail to transform the real economy. The goal is not to erase human expertise, but to elevate it into a reusable, socially productive force.
Perhaps the most vital aspect of China's approach is its stance on global AI governance. China is firm that AI must not be the exclusive property of a few tech monopolies or a tool for geopolitical dominance. Instead, it must be treated as an international public good.
This principle was clearly articulated in the Global AI Governance Action Plan published in July 2025, which calls for AI to be safe, controllable, inclusive and developed for the benefit of all humanity. Taking concrete steps toward this vision, China spearheaded the establishment of the World AI Cooperation Organization. Founded in Shanghai in July 2026 by 29 nations, WAICO aims to foster policy, technological and governance cooperation to ensure AI develops safely and equitably.
The underlying message is clear: Humans must not serve technology; technology must serve humans. AI should be leveraged to reduce our environmental footprint, shorten working hours, and ensure that developing nations are active innovators, not just passive consumers or sources of data.
While Turkiye cannot simply replicate China's model, there are profound lessons to be learned. AI policy must be inextricably linked with industrial strategy.
Academic performance must be measured not just by the number of citations but also by the translation of knowledge into real-world production. Furthermore, AI infrastructure must be democratized so that small and medium-sized enterprises can benefit alongside tech giants.
Turkiye should focus on its strategic strengths — such as automotive, textiles, agriculture, and defense — by establishing joint AI production centers where universities, vocational schools, and manufacturers collaborate to solve real-world industrial problems.
Ultimately, the global AI race will not be won solely by the country that builds the largest model. Nations that most effectively integrate AI into their factories, schools and daily production practices will be the real winners. But our ultimate measure of success must be ethical: Will AI be a tool for domination, or a force that brings shared prosperity?
China's experience demonstrates that a human-centric, production-oriented path is entirely possible.
For Turkiye, and indeed for the wider world, the task is to harness this technology not merely as consumers, but as active contributors to a fairer, more prosperous and shared future for humanity.
The author is the chairman of the Turkish-Chinese Business Development and Friendship Association.
The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
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