All-powerful robots and artificial intelligence have long been the subjects of science fiction. Now such technology means that fact is stranger than fiction.

Shanghai is determined to consolidate its leading position in intelligent manufacturing by building 70 new intelligent factories this year, and 200 new intelligent factories and 20 benchmark factories by the end of 2025, official sources said on Thursday.

In recent years, amid a sluggish global economy, an increasing number of African nations have recognized the digital economy as a pivotal driver for their development, and China, with close connections with Africa, naturally emerges as a crucial partner in propelling the continent's digital economy and realizing its modernization aspirations, Deputy Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Zhang Xiangchen has said.

China's generative artificial intelligence market is poised to exceed 10 trillion yuan ($1.4 trillion) in terms of market scale this year, said CCID Consulting, a government think tank under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on Thursday.

As China is promoting industrial innovation with technological innovation, more high-quality, high-end, and technologically innovative industries are becoming the new magnet for foreign investment.

A good lesson for the West, which has been focusing on making short-term gains through financial speculation, is that negligence could lead to a financial crisis and to impoverished populations.

The China-proposed Global AI Governance Initiative, announced in October in Beijing at the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, marks a significant stride forward in shaping the future of artificial intelligence development and governance on a global scale.

Scientists have developed a new model for sub-seasonal forecasts using artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

The Global AI Governance Initiative shows China's willingness to partner with all parties to promote the responsible use of artificial intelligence and it will help build global consensus on AI governance, industry experts said.

At the World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit on Thursday, top executives of China's biggest internet and technology companies called for accelerated efforts to develop AI infrastructure and an open AI ecosystem.

China's renewed commitment to take forward the building of a community with a shared future in cyberspace will propel greater global cooperation and exchanges in the internet sector and help narrow the global digital divide, analysts and industry insiders said.

As artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are developing rapidly in China and reshaping people's lives, issues such as AI security, controllability and equity have become the concern of the AI industry.