Introduction

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the State Administration for Market Regulation, and the Ministry of Commerce in China have jointly released a series of national standards titled “Artificial Intelligence Terminal Intelligence Leveling” (GB/Z 177—2026). These standards specify the criteria for products such as smartphones, computers, and televisions. This marks the establishment of a unified evaluation system for AI terminals, which will guide the industry towards regulated development and orderly competition while ensuring consumers can make informed choices and use products with confidence.

Current Industry Challenges

Currently, AI is fully integrated into consumer electronics, but the industry is caught in a cycle of irrational competition. Various AI smartphones and computers overwhelm consumers, as manufacturers compete on chip performance, model parameters, and hardware configurations, focusing their research and development on hardware specifications. The market is flooded with pseudo-intelligent products and exaggerated functionalities, leading to significant gaps between product experience and marketing claims. Issues such as product homogeneity, inflated functions, cost shifting, and disconnection from real consumer needs are prevalent. This trend of merely following the competition in parameter comparisons appears to generate excitement but actually leads to low-level homogenization, deviating from the original intent of human-centered and experience-first innovation in smart terminals.

The Core Mission of AI Terminals

The primary mission of AI terminals is to serve people. Analyzing several popular smart products in the market reveals that their success is not due to parameter hype but rather their ability to address real consumer needs. For instance, the rapid adoption of smart speakers is attributed to their hands-free voice interaction, which fits everyday usage scenarios. Similarly, robotic vacuum cleaners gained popularity by effectively addressing household cleaning challenges, reducing the burden and increasing efficiency in home life. The common reason for the success of these products is their grounding in real-life scenarios rather than concept hype. Products that only have a smart appearance but lack practical intelligence and real user experience struggle to retain customer loyalty and will ultimately be neglected by the market.

Importance of Standards for Industry Development

For industry development, standards must take precedence. AI is a new technology, and AI terminals belong to a new sector. The healthy and orderly development of this new industry relies on a guiding standard system. The introduction of China’s first national-level standard for AI terminal intelligence capability breaks the logic of single-parameter evaluation and establishes a graded, scenario-based, and experience-oriented assessment system. This shift will encourage the industry to move from “parameter stacking” to “experience emphasis,” guiding companies out of internal competition and accelerating product and technology iterations. Additionally, it clarifies product functionality definitions and establishes performance benchmarks, making it easier for consumers to select and use products. On a global scale, this will also help companies overcome technical standard barriers when expanding internationally, enhancing China’s AI industry’s influence in the global arena.

Market Potential for AI Terminals

The AI terminal market holds significant growth potential. China has a large consumer base and a complete electronic industry chain, with the production and ownership of smartphones, computers, and wearable devices ranking among the highest globally. The strong demand for device upgrades lays a solid market foundation for the proliferation of AI terminals. At the same time, AI application scenarios continue to expand, covering various fields such as daily home use, office learning, in-vehicle systems, and health care, integrating into personal consumption and family life, and continuously generating new business models and experiences. Driven by policy guidance, technological iterations, and consumer upgrades, AI terminals are expected to unlock greater incremental space, becoming a new growth driver for consumption and leading high-quality development in the electronics industry.

The Need for Advanced AI Terminals

Consumers also require higher-level AI terminals. Unlike traditional smart terminals that passively execute commands, AI terminals, driven by large models, possess capabilities such as scene perception, intent understanding, multimodal interaction, and autonomous learning evolution, transforming into personal intelligent assistants. Users no longer need to switch between various applications; they can complete multiple tasks in one go, making usage simpler and more efficient. For example, AI smartphones, with their ability to learn autonomously, can remember user habits, improving usability over time. Public data indicates that the shipment volume of AI smartphones, PCs, and tablets has surpassed ten million, highlighting the vast market space and strong consumer demand for AI terminals.

Conclusion

Moving away from parameter-based competition is essential for the quality upgrade of the AI terminal industry and represents a vivid reflection of China’s manufacturing breakthrough. China is both a major producer and consumer of AI terminals. If the focus remains solely on hardware competition and parameter stacking, it will lead to low-end homogenization and waste R&D resources. The shift from hardware competition to value innovation and from scale expansion to quality leadership will create a new brand for Chinese manufacturing, ushering it into a new phase of high-end intelligent manufacturing.