China ramps up AI regulation while AI device sales set to outpace non‑AI products

The Central Cyberspace Administration has completed the first phase of its “Clear and Bright” campaign against AI application irregularities, targeting unregistered models, inadequate safety filters, data poisoning and missing synthetic‑content labels. The operation removed more than 14,000 AI products, deleted over 600,000 illegal pieces of information, closed 26,000 accounts, took down 1,300 infringing AI goods and blocked nine illicit datasets. Local cyber agencies in Beijing, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Guangdong deployed coordinated inspection and reporting mechanisms, and major platforms such as Huawei, Alibaba, Zhipu, Xiyu and DeepSeek introduced enhanced registration, labeling and monitoring tools.

At a Shanghai press briefing, Deputy Director Wang Ruomeng of the National Development and Reform Commission said AI‑enabled phones and computers are expected to surpass non‑AI products in sales for the first time. AI penetration in key industries now exceeds 80%, with over 1 billion AI terminals shipped last year and rapid growth in AI‑native office assistants. Industry forecasts predict generative‑AI phones will account for 45% of global smartphone shipments by 2026 and 52% by 2027, while the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has issued new guidelines to promote AI‑plus‑ICT integrated terminals.