China targets global leadership in AI-driven energy sector by 2030

China’s top economic planner has pledged to roll out at least five industry-specific artificial intelligence (AI) models tailored for the energy sector, as Beijing seeks to speedily integrate the cutting-edge technology into power grids and the coal, oil and gas industries.

The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said it aimed to introduce a framework incorporating AI into the energy sector by 2027. The goal was to strengthen the links between computing power and electricity, drive breakthroughs in core technologies and broaden the use of the technology.

In a policy paper released with the National Energy Administration on Monday, the NDRC said it would identify more than 10 replicable and competitive pilot projects and develop 100 application scenarios. The aim was to make China a global leader in AI adoption in the energy sector by 2030.

As part of the broader “AI Plus” initiative to diffuse the advanced technology across manufacturing and services, the energy regulator called on the sector to spearhead its adoption, citing a “strong digital foundation, high-quality data and rich application scenarios”.

The two agencies announced plans to establish AI research and innovation platforms for the energy sector and to train specialists with expertise in both energy and AI.

China would explore building a financing system to support AI research and applications over the next two years, the agencies added, as Beijing sought to develop a unique innovation model tailored to national conditions and achieve early progress in smart energy.

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South China Morning Post