AI technology widely adopted during Spring Festival events

BEIJING - During the 2025 Intangible Cultural Heritage Gala aired by China Media Group on Jan 31, a pack of ten robot dogs leaped, spun and waved in perfect harmony to a traditional dance song, wowing audiences with their flawless moves.

This electrifying performance soon ignited social media, where amazed netizens dubbed them "the most dedicated dance crew" and marveled at the stunning fusion of cultural heritage and futuristic technology.

The dancing Lite3 models showcased during the gala belong to the agile intelligent robot dog series of Hangzhou-based firm DEEP Robotics. Capable of carrying 7.5 kg payloads with a 5 km operational range and 1.5-2 hours continuous motion, these robots can perform complex maneuvers including high jumps and front flips.

"Our proprietary joint modules, control systems and advanced algorithms enable unprecedented motion capabilities," said Lin Yi, the company's R&D manager. Users can engage in more diverse exercise training and development based on intelligent algorithms such as deep learning and reinforcement learning.

Notably, artificial intelligence (AI) is entering Chinese households like never before -- seamlessly blending into both daily life and entertainment.

Dressed in colorful jackets, a group of humanoid robots became a highlight of this year's Spring Festival gala, broadcast on Chinese New Year's Eve. The 16 robots danced the Yangko, a traditional folk dance, alongside human performers. After the show, a "robot grandmother" was gently escorted offstage by the dancers -- and the moment quickly went viral on social media.

With its vast knowledge, eloquent expression, boundless imagination and playful wit, DeepSeek has captivated people of all ages, making it the ultimate "chat companion." "I felt powerful after having a good command of DeepSeek," said a retiree surnamed Ma, who downloaded the open-resource tool following his son's strong recommendation.

Beyond the virtual world, AI is becoming an ever-present force in daily life, not only enhancing online interactions but also transforming real-world experiences with remarkable efficiency. Whether at temple fairs or tourist attractions, AI is increasingly integrating into people's daily lives, replacing servers and trainers, making candy figurines, playing games, carrying heavy loads, delivering goods and even assisting climbers.

This year's Spring Festival has been a celebration of AI-driven surprises, with each innovation sparking excitement and wonder. Social media is buzzing with netizens sharing and recommending their favorite high-tech experiences, making this a unique futuristic Chinese New Year.

"Wow! No more video calls for New Year greetings!" said a tech worker surnamed Li. He uploaded a photo to the Baidu App, entered prompts like "firecrackers on Mars" and "dragon dance on the Forbidden City rooftop," and added a festive message. In just over a minute, AI created a unique digital greeting card, making the experience effortless and exciting.

AI's shift from niche to mainstream success is driven by two key factors -- practical application and strong technology. The key to AI's widespread adoption is the effective alignment of technological advancements with real-world needs, according to Baidu chairman and CEO Robin Li.

The success of AI is measured not by lab-based computing power, but by its impact on everyday users. Advanced technologies must be integrated into everyday life, making them accessible to all, turning tools once limited to a few into resources for the many, Li said.

China's AI industry ecosystem covers key segments ranging from chips, algorithms, data and platforms to applications. Over 4,500 companies are involved, with the core industry reaching a scale of nearly 600 billion yuan ($82.1 billion). In the past year alone, 238 new generative AI products have been registered.

The strong demand for large AI models is clearly reflected in the impressive growth numbers. On Feb 2, DeepSeek topped app markets in 140 regions, with daily active users exceeding 30 million. By last November, Baidu's ERNIE had reached over 1.5 billion daily calls, a 30-fold increase from the previous year, while ByteDance's Doubao saw daily token usage rise 33-fold by December 2024 after its launch in May 2024.

Omdia, a consultancy focused on the tech industry, forecasts that China's generative AI market will achieve 5.5-fold growth over the next five years -- totaling $9.8 billion by 2029.

Looking forward, the wave sparked by DeepSeek continues to gain momentum, rapidly expanding its "ecosystem" and further activating the AI industry chain. Major cloud service providers like Huawei Cloud, Tencent Cloud, Alibaba Cloud and Baidu AI Cloud have integrated DeepSeek's large models into their platforms.