Empowering the Real Economy with Artificial Intelligence

Since the beginning of this year, open-source AI agents have gained popularity in the global tech scene, transitioning AI from merely ’talking’ to ‘doing’, accelerating its integration into production and daily life.

The 14th Five-Year Plan outlines the comprehensive implementation of the ‘Artificial Intelligence +’ initiative. The State Council’s opinion on deepening this initiative states that by 2027, AI will be widely integrated into six key areas, with the application rate of new generation intelligent terminals and agents exceeding 70%. The deep integration of AI with the real economy will leverage rich data resources, diverse application scenarios, and a large user base, transforming them into unique advantages and strong momentum for building a modern industrial system and achieving high-quality development in China.

To empower the real economy with ‘Artificial Intelligence +’, it is essential to adopt a hybrid AI technology approach. While cloud-based public models offer vast knowledge and ease of use, they cannot perform specialized reasoning based on specific manufacturing processes, inventory, and order data. Therefore, AI models need to be deployed on private clouds, local data centers, or even on devices, learning from internal data and building exclusive knowledge bases to reason according to business scenario needs. When public information is required, the public cloud’s models can be accessed. This approach ensures data security while continuously unleashing AI’s innovative potential.

Moreover, to fully exploit and release the value of data, companies must convert various internal data and expertise into precise insights or intelligent business processes through AI models. This enables the construction of specialized domain agents at each stage of the value chain and the coordination of all agents through a ‘super agent’, allowing for autonomous task execution and decision support, thus forming a new industrial model of human-machine collaboration.

Since 2025, Lenovo has developed a global supply chain intelligent agent using self-developed technology, achieving multi-agent collaboration in areas such as demand forecasting, parts procurement, production, and logistics delivery. This has reduced decision-making time in supply chain management by more than half, significantly lowering order delivery times and manufacturing logistics costs. Recently, Lenovo launched a new generation of AI agents that are no longer traditional tools waiting for commands but can ‘break down steps, run processes, allocate resources, and make judgments’. We have also applied hybrid AI solutions in manufacturing, healthcare, transportation, and agriculture. For instance, we helped Yili Group achieve a comprehensive restructuring of its supply chain, reducing raw milk transportation costs and nearly doubling the on-time delivery rate of goods to factories.

Additionally, to empower the real economy with ‘Artificial Intelligence +’, it is crucial to develop emerging industries represented by intelligent terminals, creating new economic growth points. Future computers, smartphones, tablets, and even glasses and watches are expected to become personalized carriers and entry points for ‘super intelligence’. AI agents will also operate across devices, applications, operating systems, or ecosystems, forming a new industrial ecology. Therefore, promoting the widespread application of new generation intelligent terminals and agents will facilitate the transformation and upgrading of the electronic manufacturing industry and foster new consumption models for intelligent products.

This year marks the beginning of the 14th Five-Year Plan. With the deepening implementation of the ‘Artificial Intelligence +’ initiative, AI will comprehensively empower the development of various industries in China. We will actively implement national policies, strengthen technological innovation, and promote practical applications to contribute to empowering the real economy with AI and driving high-quality development.

(Author: Yang Yuanqing, Chairman and CEO of Lenovo Group, interviewed and organized by reporter Gu Yekai)