Advance AI to spur economy, Xi urges

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on Wednesday called for stepping up efforts to develop the new generation of artificial intelligence technology to inject a fresh driving force into the country's high-quality economic growth.

Xi, also president, made the call while presiding over a group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on the development of AI.

Xi stressed that China is in urgent need of major technological innovation such as the new generation of AI as its economy has been transitioning from rapid growth to high-quality development - a pivotal stage for changing the economic growth model, improving economic structure and fostering new growth drivers.