Produced by | Entrepreneurship Frontline

Designed by | Xing Jing

Reviewed by | Song Wen

Amidst global market turbulence fueled by tariff policy adjustments, the technology sector has seen notable fluctuations. Despite these challenges, China's AI industry has exhibited remarkable resilience and growth potential, emerging stronger than ever.

While tariff policies may have impacted traditional manufacturing, they have also spurred countries to accelerate technological innovation, particularly in AI, a strategic emerging industry. As a vanguard of China's technological innovation enterprises, the Sci-Tech Innovation Board stands as a core driver for the AI industry's development.

Despite tariff policy adjustments, China's AI industry has evolved significantly. It has established a comprehensive "computing power - model - application" ecosystem.

At the computing power level, the national "East Data, West Computation" project has constructed a nationwide computing power network spanning eight hub nodes, including Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and the Yangtze River Delta.

At the model level, innovations like DeepSeek, through algorithm optimization, reduce reliance on high-end GPUs and enable large-scale enterprises to access AI at lower costs.

At the application level, hundreds of enterprises across finance, energy, logistics, and robotics have adopted DeepSeek. Notably, AI applications in robotics have made significant breakthroughs, with humanoid robot technology accelerating its evolution, becoming a new frontier for technological competition, an emerging track for future industries, and a potent engine for economic growth.

Globally, AI is projected to be a significant driver of economic growth over the next decade, potentially becoming the most versatile technology contributing to global economic expansion.

In technology investment, AI-related assets have outperformed the broader technology sector in terms of long-term returns, serving as a vital mainstay for tech investments. Historically, each wave of technological advancement has nurtured world-changing companies. Currently, AI is in a rapid growth phase and is poised to spawn more influential enterprises in the future.

Regarding penetration levels, the current state of generative AI is akin to the internet in 1987 or the mobile internet in 2008, indicating vast room for development.

AI is expected to significantly enhance productivity and is penetrating various industries beyond just technology. Within the tech sector, AI is a core driver for earnings expectations and stock prices, with AI-related listed companies demonstrating superior earnings prospects and stock performance.

Against this backdrop, the SSE Sci-Tech Innovation Board AI Index has become a key focus for investors. The index comprises 30 of the most representative AI enterprises listed on the Sci-Tech Innovation Board, covering AI's basic resources, technical support, and applications.

From an industry coverage perspective, the index emphasizes core computing power chips and application segments, with a notable increase in self-controllable content.

From a supply chain perspective, the index weights basic chips and AI applications higher while reducing the weights of computing devices, communication equipment, and IDC services. This index not only excels in growth, with revenue and profit growth expectations surpassing comparable indices, but also demonstrates superior long-term performance and flexibility.

As the primary market and industrial capital continue to increase investment in AI, AI computing power revenue and profits are surging, AI applications are achieving cost reductions and efficiency enhancements in complex scenarios, and domestic AI application product capabilities and user numbers are continuously improving. The AI industry on the Sci-Tech Innovation Board is entering a golden era of rapid development.

With the AI wave gaining momentum, multiple institutions have launched investment products tracking the SSE Sci-Tech Innovation Board AI Index, such as the Sci-Tech Innovation AI ETF (588730), providing investors with a convenient tool to increase their exposure to the domestic AI industry chain.

Notably, the E Fund SSE Sci-Tech Innovation Board AI ETF Link Fund (Class A: 023564; Class C: 023565) has recently been launched, offering off-exchange investors a new avenue to participate in Sci-Tech Innovation Board AI investments and share in the dividends of the AI industry's growth.

Looking ahead, the prospects for AI remain promising. With continuous technological advancements and expanding application scenarios, AI is poised to achieve breakthroughs in more fields, further boosting productivity and efficiency.

Particularly in generative AI, its penetration is still in its infancy, with immense growth potential over the next decade. With continued policy support and increasing investment from industrial capital, the AI industry is set to maintain its rapid development trajectory, offering investors abundant opportunities.

*Note: The lead image in the article is from Jiemian Picture Library; the remaining images are from Shotu.com, used under the VRF agreement.