The explosive growth and widespread application of AI technology have led Chinese consumers to temporarily focus on the convenience and efficiency it brings. However, people will eventually re-examine the relationship between technology and human in the long term. Integrating humanistic care into business philosophy will help brands maintain a human touch and uniqueness in a technology-driven era.
Laurel Gu, Director, China Insights
Market Definitions
Artificial intelligence is a broad area of computer science aimed at creating systems capable of simulating human intelligence, primarily involving perceiving the environment, reasoning, learning and problem-solving, covering a variety of tasks such as prediction, analysis and decision-making.
Generative AI is a specific branch of AI and the focus of this Report. Its key feature is the ability to create new, original content. It generates outputs such as text, images, code or music according to logic, by deeply learning large amounts of data.
In addition to outlining overall industry trends, this Report will also focus on the application of generative AI in the consumer and retail markets and to explore the current and future paths of innovative development.
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Executive summary
- Key issues in this Report
- Definitions
- What you need to know
- Market opportunities: AI offers new possibilities for information search, consumer decision-making and brand interaction
- Market opportunities: deep specialisation in professional segments offers diversified development options for the AI application market
- Market opportunities: balancing technological innovation and humanity will become the long-term strategic focus for brands
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OVERVIEW
- Artificial intelligence development milestones
- Increase in data volume and computing power lets AI take centre stage
- Graph 1: fastest supercomputer floating-point operations per second (million), 1993-2024
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Consumer insights
- Summary
- Chinese consumers’ AI usage trend tracker
- 1. AI search becomes the new traffic gateway
- Consumers are living in the era of ‘technology for all’, with the usage of generative AI tools soaring
- Graph 2: generative AI usage rates, 2023-25
- Penetration of educational scenarios and the promotion in workplace environments are the core driving forces
- Graph 3: consumers who have used generative AI tools and have adopted them in daily work or life, by age, 2024-25
- Graph 4: consumers who have used generative AI tools and have adopted them in daily work or life, by employment, 2024-25
- Trends in generative AI tool applications: from trying out to regular use…
- Graph 5: usage occasions of generative AI − searching/acquiring information, 2024-25
- …and AI tools are more tailored to people’s everyday needs
- Graph 6: evaluation of the usefulness of AI tools − very helpful, 2025
- Graph 7: usage occasions of generative AI, 2025
- Overview of scenarios where Chinese consumers use AI
- Productivity boost is the foremost priority of AI applications; younger people also expect it to provide tailored emotional experiences
- Graph 8: generative AI usage scenarios − used AI frequently, by age and monthly personal income, 2025
- 2. Generative AI offers new possibilities for consumer decision-making and brand interactions
- AI as an online shopping assistant: save money and make purchases faster; interactive features are widely welcomed
- Graph 9: attitude towards the use of generative AI in shopping apps, 2025
- Concerns about AI personalised recommendations: credibility and privacy
- Concerns about AI virtual streamers and customer service agents: authenticity and usefulness
- Use scientific, authentic and precise personalised selection to help consumers make their shopping journey more efficient
- Smart interactive screens and robots help stores improve transaction rates and operational efficiency
- AI empowers interactions between brands and consumers, facilitating the shift from one-way communication to co-creating experiences in brand communication
- Graph 10: interest in AI-empowered consumer-brand interactions/co-creation, 2025
- Younger people are eager to leverage AI to unleash their creativity, while the Post-1980s look forward to personalised product customisation
- Graph 11: interest in AI-empowered consumer-brand interactions/co-creation, by generation, 2025
- Consumers interact and co-create with brands through AI tools: an important trend in brand building, user lifecycle management and product innovation
- Gen AI offers new possibilities in consumer shopping journeys and brand interactions
- 3. Depth of professional, specialised segments offers diverse development opportunities for AI applications
- Market expansion has led to rapid changes in the competitive landscape: the rise of DeepSeek and the increase in overall competitiveness of Chinese brands
- Graph 12: generative AI platform/tool usage rates, 2024-25
- Mainstream generative AI LLMs/applications at a glance
- Doubao and DeepSeek lead in user approval rates
- Graph 13: satisfaction with the use of generative AI tools, 2025
- Consumers actively embrace new tools, and depth in professional segments provides diverse market opportunities
- Graph 14: number of generative AI tools/platforms used, 2025
- Chinese consumers from a global perspective
- Chinese consumers actively embrace new technologies
- Graph 15: attitude towards technology − I like to be amongst the first to try new technologies (index*), by region, 2023-25
- The need for efficiency and trust drives the widespread application of AI technology in education, production and lifestyle
- Graph 16: AI usage scenarios of interest, by region, 2025
- Graph 17: trusted AI content, by region, 2024-25
- High trust in AI technology provides fertile ground for product innovation
- Graph 18: attitudes towards technology, by region, 2024
- Reflection on the AI era will come late, but not never
- Graph 19: I’m concerned about my reliance on technology to communicate (index*), by region, 2023-25
- AI for good will become the cornerstone of a positive corporate image
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Market factors
- China’s AI market: industry scale expansion, more everyday application scenarios and greater international influence
- AI Plus is China’s latest national strategy
- Better and more comprehensive policies and regulations
- AI venture capital surges; the winners of the next generation of smart hardware are yet to be determined
- Transformation and upgrade of value anchor points for consumer-facing smart hardware
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Appendix – methodology and abbreviations
- Methodology
- Methodology: TURF analysis
- Abbreviations
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