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Along with significant advances by China’s domestic artificial intelligence (AI) developers, we are fast approaching the day when humanoid robots could begin making their way into our daily lives.
When DeepSeek launched its R1 large language model in January, some investors focused on how the moment captured the high-stakes AI competition between China and the US, and how such healthy competition can create efficiencies, drive down costs and become more useful to consumers.
But Chinese policymakers are thinking about AI differently. They are focused on incorporating AI into the manufacturing process and widely adopting it on a commercial scale. The powerful combination of AI and robotics is coming into focus just as the need for it becomes glaringly apparent.
Demographic headwinds are starting to have an impact on economies globally. The working-age population is decreasing in many countries and is likely to accelerate due to low fertility rates.
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By 2100, China’s working-age population could shrink by over 70 per cent compared to its peak in 2014. As labour supply contracts and social services increase in cost, economic growth will have to rely more on productivity gains.
