Beijing emerges as leader of China's AI industry

With plentiful innovation resources and strong policy support, Beijing has emerged as a leading force in China's AI industry.

"Beijing has attracted over 40 percent of China's top-tier AI talent and is now home to more than 2,400 AI enterprises, with its core AI industry scale approaching 350 billion yuan ($48.6 billion)," said Han Jian, director of the information department at the Zhongguancun Science Park Administrative Committee.

Han added that the capital accounts for half of the national total in terms of AI company numbers and core industry scale.

Wang Zhongyuan, head of the Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence, a leading nonprofit AI institute, said the institute has built an "expert ecosystem" bridging industry, academia, and research through initiatives like hosting the BAAI conference and developing the BAAI community, which has incubated nearly 20 startups to date.

Beijing has established 23 key AI laboratories, spanning cutting-edge domains, including large language models, embodied intelligence, and AI security, cultivating an integrated technological R&D framework coupled with a thriving industrial ecosystem.

The city also drives AI integration into traditional sectors like cultural industries, transportation networks, and advanced manufacturing.

Chinese autonomous driving startup UISEE has expanded globally, serving six countries and regions. It has over 1,000 driverless vehicles in commercial operation, with driving mileage reaching 5.8 million kilometers.

"We're transforming autonomous driving from cutting-edge technology into practical industry solutions. Not only should we be China's 'AI driver', but the world's 'AI driver'," said Wu Gansha, CEO of the company.