In recent gatherings in Incheon, South Korea, APEC leaders zeroed in on the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and digitalization to unlock sustainable economic growth across 21 economies and regions. Their 2025 Digital and AI Ministerial Statement highlighted a human-centered approach, aiming to boost efficiency and resilience while keeping safety and trust at the core 🤝.
At a joint session of finance and structural reform ministers, AI-driven digital finance took center stage. Ministries agreed that smart credit assessments and broader financial access for small businesses could be AI’s game-changer. They underscored the need to channel resources into AI transformation to power tomorrow’s growth engines and meet demographic challenges head-on.
AI in the Chinese Mainland: From Dormant Data to Dynamic Value
Parallel to the APEC roadmap, the Chinese mainland is racing to embed AI across key sectors. Zhang Qiliang, general manager at XCMG Hanyun, called 2025 ‘the first year of true implementation’ for the ‘AI + Industrial Internet’ concept. By merging large AI models with industrial know-how, companies can now process vast amounts of unstructured data, boosting fault detection in engineering machinery and cutting maintenance costs 🔧📈.
Data is no longer a dormant asset—it’s flowing value, Zhang said, pointing to the industrial revolution driven by AI insights.
Green Energy Gets Smarter with AI
AI is also playing a starring role in the Chinese mainland’s green energy push. A recent report in the Science and Technology Daily reveals how AI-powered smart grids predict renewable load and output with pinpoint accuracy. This means wind and solar energy can be seamlessly integrated, optimizing distribution and sharpening carbon emission monitoring to spot super-emitters and verify cuts quickly 🌞🌬️.
The combination of APEC’s regional vision and the Chinese mainland’s on-the-ground AI rollouts paints a picture of an Asia-Pacific future powered by smart, responsible technology. As AI transforms finance, industry, and sustainable energy, young innovators and global entrepreneurs have a front-row seat to the region’s digital dawn ✨.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
