The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has called on national high-tech zones to accelerate the exploration of new artificial intelligence-driven scientific research paradigms and technology development models, as part of broader efforts to boost the country's smart economy.

Wu Jiaxi, deputy head of the department of planning at the ministry, unveiled the plan at a news conference on Thursday.

According to Wu, the next steps will focus on implementing the "AI plus" initiative and the digital transformation of manufacturing, comprehensively enhancing the development of the AI industry in national high-tech zones, and accelerating the formation of new drivers for the smart economy.

Wu said support will be given to national high-tech zones with strong AI capabilities to strengthen original innovation and breakthroughs in core technologies such as underlying algorithms, brain-inspired intelligence, and world models. High-tech zones are encouraged to accelerate the exploration of AI-driven scientific research paradigms and technology R&D models, and to build open-source AI communities.

Meanwhile, national high-tech zones are urged to cultivate a number of leading AI enterprises, accelerate the expansion of key AI-related sectors, with the goal of building globally competitive AI industrial clusters.

The ministry also supports the effective use of the AI Industry Collaborative Innovation Network among national high-tech zones, strengthening cross-regional park cooperation, deepening exchanges and matchmaking, and promoting efficient integration of industrial resources, Wu said.

According to him, national high-tech zones will be guided to accelerate the deployment of intelligent computing infrastructure and build high-quality datasets to solidify the foundation for digital and intelligent development. They are encouraged to regularly release AI application scenario lists, create a number of flagship application scenarios, and promote the large-scale application of new AI technologies and products.