China is moving to bring artificial intelligence deeper into everyday consumer life, announcing 17 measures aimed at expanding AI use across homes, businesses, products, and services.
China’s commerce ministry announced measures to promote the use of artificial intelligence in the consumption sector for both products and services, citing state broadcaster CCTV. The 17 measures show Beijing’s intent to push AI beyond industrial use and into the daily lives of households and businesses nationwide.
The policy comes as China tries to turn AI from a technology race into a consumer economy tool. Instead of focusing only on factories, research labs, or software firms, the new measures point to a wider plan: make AI part of how people buy products, use services, and interact with smart devices.
Consumer Electronics Are Expected to Become Smarter
One of the main areas covered by the new measures is goods consumption.
Reuters reported that the measures aim to move consumer electronics from being merely functional products into intelligent products.
The News similarly reported that the ministry is targeting a shift in how consumer electronics are designed and sold, moving devices toward AI-integrated systems.
This could affect a wide range of devices, from home appliances and personal gadgets to entertainment systems and connected tools. The policy direction suggests that AI may increasingly become a selling point in ordinary consumer products, not just in premium devices or enterprise software.
For manufacturers, this could mean designing products that can learn user habits, automate routine functions, and connect more intelligently with other devices. For consumers, it could mean more AI-powered features appearing in everyday electronics.
Humanoid Robots Are Part of the Consumer Push
China is also linking AI consumption to humanoid robotics. The measures include growing a new market for humanoid robots. China’s humanoid robotics industry has gained major government and private investment, with companies such as Unitree and UBTECH competing in industrial and consumer spaces.
That detail is significant because humanoid robots remain expensive and experimental in many markets. By placing them inside a consumption strategy, China appears to be treating robots not only as industrial machines but also as future consumer-facing products.
The market may still take time to mature, but the policy signal is clear. Beijing wants AI-powered robots to become part of the next phase of domestic demand, especially as companies test commercial uses in services, homes, and workplaces.
AI Services Target Retail, Public Life, and Lifestyle Needs
The measures are not limited to physical products. The services section aims to address AI’s rapid movement from consumer retail into public services and lifestyle services. The service-side measures focus on AI’s growing presence across retail services, public services, and personal services.
This part of the policy may be especially important for sectors where customer service, scheduling, recommendations, and standardized support are difficult to scale. AI tools could help businesses provide faster responses, automate routine transactions, and improve service delivery.
Lin Jian, deputy director of the international trade cooperation institute under the commerce ministry, explained the economic logic behind the push. Lin said AI is expected to help break through the bottleneck in service consumption caused by high labour costs and low standardization.
AI Becomes Part of China’s Consumption Strategy
The announcement shows that China is treating AI as more than a productivity tool for companies. It is also being positioned as a way to stimulate consumer demand, upgrade products, and modernize services.
The policy as Beijing framing AI not only as a technological upgrade but also as a lever for economic stimulus. That framing matters because China’s consumer economy has become a key area for policy support, especially as technology sectors are expected to contribute to growth.
The 17 measures suggest that China wants AI to become visible in ordinary life: in the devices people buy, the services they use, and the businesses they interact with. The challenge will be whether companies can turn policy support into products and services that consumers actually trust, afford, and adopt.
