Local governments in Shenzhen, Beijing and Shanghai intensify competition to attract AI investment and talent. They establish dedicated AI agencies, offer up to billions of yuan in subsidies, and support applications from humanoid robotics and autonomous vehicles to digital humans at transit hubs. Leveraging academic research institutes, industrial parks and financial markets, these cities aim to build global AI ecosystems that translate technological advances into commercial and public-sector deployments.

Key points

• Shenzhen establishes the world’s first district-level AI Robotics Administration and offers up to 4.5 billion yuan in incentives for humanoid robot development and deployment.
• Beijing consolidates over 2,400 registered AI firms within the Zhongguancun Science Park, backed by national research institutes and driving a nearly 350 billion yuan core AI industry.
• Shanghai deploys a city-wide fully-optical network and allocates 1 billion yuan in targeted subsidies to integrate AI solutions across finance, logistics and manufacturing sectors.

Why it matters: China’s multi-city AI race demonstrates a model for public-private collaboration in scaling AI technologies, potentially accelerating global adoption and innovation.