AI Adoption in Key Chinese Manufacturing Scenarios Reaches 34.2% in H1 2026

According to a report released by China's National Industrial Information Security Development Research Centre, the penetration rate of AI in key manufacturing scenarios reached 34.2% in the first half of 2026, up 5.5 percentage points year-over-year. Additionally, 10.6% of large-scale manufacturing enterprises are now leveraging large language models to innovate their business operations. The findings highlight China's accelerating industrial digitization, transitioning industrial AI from pilot experiments into enterprise-scale deployment. The growing integration of large language models in major manufacturing firms signals a broader shift toward intelligence-driven production and operational workflows. Across operational domains, enterprise digitization reached 86.3% in R&D and design, 81.4% in management, and 69.5% in physical production. Furthermore, nearly 50% of companies engage in networked collaboration, with emerging practices like digital twins and supply chain network coordination gaining ground.