MIIT to Launch "AI + Software" Initiative to Drive Intelligent Industrial Transformation

At a press conference held on July 20, Tao Qing, spokesperson for the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), announced that the ministry will accelerate the release of an "AI + Software" action plan to drive the intelligent transformation of the software industry and foster new business models. From January to May, China's software sector generated revenue exceeding RMB 6.2 trillion, up 10.3% year-on-year. This year, China’s software industry has demonstrated four key characteristics: First, foundational software is developing rapidly, with continuous breakthroughs in operating systems, databases, and other areas. The open-source HarmonyOS now supports a wide range of devices, with over 1.35 billion ecosystem devices and more than 100 industry-specific distributions launched. Second, industrial software is being widely adopted, forming comprehensive product systems covering key sectors. By the end of June, leading industrial enterprises had achieved a high level of digitalization. Third, artificial intelligence is comprehensively empowering the software industry—companies are leveraging large code models to boost development efficiency, and innovative applications such as AI-powered testing are rapidly being deployed. Fourth, the open-source ecosystem continues to expand. A national open-source foundation is driving project incubation, while a state-level AI open-source community has attracted a vast user base and numerous models. Full-stack open-source solutions are accelerating development, and downloads of China-developed open-source large AI models have surpassed 10 billion globally. Moving forward, MIIT will, in line with national strategic plans, strengthen the supply capacity of critical software, enhance open-source infrastructure, and promote the national AI open-source community as a hub for innovation and a platform for product deployment.