Generative AI adoption in China has surged to 515 million users by June 2025, doubling since December and marking 36.5% user penetration.
BEIJING: Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is seeing explosive growth in China, with a new report revealing that the country reached 515 million generative AI users as of June 2025 — a sharp rise of 266 million users within just six months. The findings, published by the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), highlight AI’s rapid integration into everyday life and its rising impact on the national tech landscape.
This surge brings China’s generative AI penetration rate to 36.5%, marking a shift from trial use to widespread daily application. The core user groups include people under 40 and those with higher education, with 74.6% of users under 40 and 37.5% holding a junior college degree or higher.
Chinese-developed generative AI tools are now widely used across sectors such as content creation, smart devices, office assistance, and intelligent search. The report also noted that generative AI is expanding into agriculture, manufacturing, and scientific research, indicating a maturing ecosystem of AI-driven productivity tools.
Speaking at the 2025 China Internet Infrastructure Resources Conference in Beijing, CNNIC Director Liu Yulin said, “AI has evolved from a lab concept into a mature service supporting hundreds of millions of users.” He noted that this growth reflects a clear shift in how Chinese users are embracing AI in both personal and professional settings.
China’s global AI influence continues to rise. By April 2025, the country had filed 1.576 million AI-related patent applications, representing 38.58% of the global total — the highest share globally.
This data reflects a milestone in China’s technological development and digital transformation, reinforcing its position as a major player in the global AI ecosystem.
