Be Wary of the "Chinese AI Going Off Track" Argument: Token Consumption Comparisons Ignore Differences in Total Volume and Measurement Caliber

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Regarding the development of artificial intelligence in China and the United States, a comparison has recently circulated online: 55% of China's Token consumption flows to AI (artificial intelligence) short dramas and video generation, while 58% of the United States' consumption is in programming, research and development, and enterprise automation, and on this basis a conclusion is drawn—China has once again turned "gunpowder" into "fireworks," and "AI development has gone off track."

Setting aside whether the data sources are reliable and authoritative, ignoring differences in total volume, statistical scope, and samples, and drawing conclusions from simple mechanical numerical comparisons is inevitably arbitrary.

Looking at policy, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council recently issued the "Opinions on Developing New Quality Productive Forces," which clearly states "using artificial intelligence to lead changes in scientific research paradigms." The outline of the "15th Five-Year Plan" proposes "strengthening the integration of artificial intelligence with scientific and technological innovation, industrial development, cultural development, livelihood security, and social governance." In August 2025, the State Council issued the "Opinions on Deeply Implementing the 'AI+' Action," listing "'AI+' science and technology" as the first key action.

Looking at investment, the "computing power network" has been included in the "six networks," and the country's first 100,000-card-level ultra-intelligent integrated computing power resource pool has officially gone online; laying out foundational research, the Chinese Academy of Sciences is coordinating the creation of "Panshi·Scientific Foundation Large Model 2.0," and the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Laboratory has released the "AGI4S Everest Plan" aimed at major scientific research breakthroughs...

Broadening our perspective, China relies on its ultra-large-scale market and complete industrial system to bring AI into factories, farmland, healthcare, culture and tourism, and other production and daily-life scenarios. This development model, which highlights application orientation, embodies "letting artificial intelligence empower all industries." This is precisely where China's advantage lies, and it is also the soil that incubates disruptive innovation.

From intelligent equipment at a Xuzhou factory completing a production line "transformation" in 10 minutes, to an AI veterinary system driving the pig farming industry into the intelligent stage; from China's intelligent meteorological early warning solution "Mazu" being implemented in 8 countries and applied "in the cloud" in more than 50 countries, to smart mining solutions serving multiple countries and regions... "Chinese solutions" that can be implemented, replicated, and scaled are constantly emerging, benefiting both China and the world.

We are advancing on both fronts: strengthening hard-core foundational support while also activating a vast application market. Of course, China's AI development also faces challenges, but we have always been working hard to tackle basic science and core technologies and overcome difficulties in fields such as high-end chips, and we have never "gone off track."

Source: People's Daily

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