China’s Ministry of Commerce and seven other ministries released a 17-measure plan to expand AI use across consumer goods, services, retail, and commerce, as Beijing looks for new ways to lift spending.

The plan supports AI phones, smart homes, connected cars, wearables, AI glasses, and care and household robots. It also calls for wider use of AI in tourism, restaurants, education, ecommerce, and logistics. This expansion includes autonomous delivery vehicles and drones.

Support will include existing funds, an expanded consumer-goods trade-in scheme for next-generation smart terminals. It also feature interest subsidies on personal consumption loans for AI purchases, and experience centers in malls, museums, and other venues.

The plan also includes measures on cybersecurity, data and content security, consumer information protection, algorithmic abuse, and consumer fraud.

The move follows China’s retail sales falling 0.6% year on year in May, amid a broader policy push to boost consumption.

The measures also build on trade-in programs launched in 2024 that already covered smart devices.

Separately, consumer-facing AI services in China already face rules on algorithms, deep synthesis, generative AI, and personal data.

🔗 Source: South China Morning Post