CMG Announces Top 10 AI Trends for 2026
The genie is out of the bottle, and its name is artificial intelligence (AI). In China and around the world, AI is becoming integral to human activity, from industry to everyday interactions, making its governance and inclusive access critically important.
To help navigate this future, China Media Group (CMG), in collaboration with multiple think tanks and universities, is releasing a report on the top 10 trends in AI for 2026.
1. Globalization of AI Governance
AI for inclusive and shared benefits has become the central issue on the global development agenda. In November 2025, at the 32nd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized the need for a World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization to provide the international community with public goods on AI. Strengthening international cooperation on AI governance is seen as vital to supporting global economic growth and addressing challenges such as climate change and public health.
2. The Scaling of Intelligent Computing Power
The report highlights the central role of strengthening key industrial input supply, particularly through advancements in chip technologies. Domestic AI chips are set to achieve large-scale deployment in specific application scenarios. Clusters with tens of thousands of GPUs have become the mainstay for training large models, significantly improving access to computing power.
3. Mainstream Adoption of AI Applications
AI agents are expected to be deployed across a wide range of industries in 2026. The application of intelligent agents will shift from general-purpose tasks towards addressing specific issues. The Chinese government has released an action plan to achieve a secure and reliable supply of key core AI technologies, aiming for the launch of 1,000 high-level industrial AI agents by 2027.
4. Deployment of Multi-Modal Interaction
Core AI technologies are evolving from specialized tools into intelligent partners. Domestic large language models, such as DeepSeek, made significant breakthroughs in high performance at lower costs in 2025. Upgrades in computing capacity are supporting increasingly sophisticated interactions based on multi-modal data, including text, images, audio, video, and 3D point clouds.
5. Proliferation of Native AI Devices
Next-generation smart terminals are converging with immersive consumption experiences. In 2025, AI smartphones and various AI-powered devices saw strong growth. Terminal hardware is shifting from AI-adapted tools to AI-native design, with new generations of AI smartphones, PCs, and XR (Extended Reality) devices expected to redefine education, health management, and entertainment experiences.
6. Convergence of AI and Embodied Intelligence
The convergence of “physical AI” and embodied intelligence is creating robots capable of deeper interaction with the real world. These robots are becoming autonomous and can collaborate with humans. The embodied intelligence market in China is expected to reach approximately 5.3 billion yuan (around $759 million) in 2025, with intelligent robots ready for large-scale production in manufacturing, warehousing, and home services.
7. Specialization within Scientific Domains
AI is delivering disruptive breakthroughs in fundamental research. AI models integrated with scientific computing can generate hypotheses, design experiments, and validate results, accelerating breakthroughs across materials science, astrophysics, and life sciences, including antibody design and novel drug molecules.
8. Convergence Across Frontier Fields
Brain-inspired intelligence is converging with other frontier disciplines. Advances in brain science are driving progress in biological imaging and data science. This deeper integration is likely to yield breakthroughs in spiking neural networks and neuromorphic computing.
9. Heightened Focus on Energy Issues
The report emphasizes the emerging field of Green AI. The rapid growth of AI data centers is expected to significantly raise global electricity demand, raising concerns over energy supply and environmental impact. Efficient model architectures and clean-energy-powered computing centers are key to balancing rapid computing power growth with carbon emissions control.
10. Escalation of Safety and Adversarial Challenges
Reflecting the fast-paced breakthroughs in AI, China released its upgraded AI Safety Governance Framework 2.0 on September 15. This framework promotes the formation of a safe, trustworthy, and controllable AI development ecosystem, establishing a collaborative governance model that spans borders, fields, and industries. The report highlights that safety is critical for AI development, with rapid advancements expected in governance rules and technical tools addressing AI ethics, privacy, and security.
