Beijing: Jasour – News Desk
China has announced plans to intensify the use of artificial intelligence in elderly care and social welfare amidst rising aging rates and a shrinking workforce.
During a press conference, China’s Minister of Social Affairs, Lu Qi Yuan, stated, ‘We will accelerate the development and application of new technologies and products, such as big data and artificial intelligence, in the fields of social welfare, elderly care, and services for individuals with special needs.’
This announcement coincided with Beijing’s hosting of the annual main parliamentary session, which gathers thousands of delegates. The initiative aims to make these services ‘more accessible, unified, and user-friendly.’
China’s population has declined for the third consecutive year in 2024, raising severe concerns for its economy, healthcare systems, and social welfare sectors, as the number of elderly continues to rise and birth rates plummet.
The number of Chinese citizens aged over 60 now exceeds 310 million, out of a total population of more than 1.4 billion people.
To tackle the shrinking workforce, the government is looking to harness new technologies as a driver of future economic growth.
A noteworthy example of this is the launch of an artificial intelligence model by China’s DeepSec company in January. Since then, local governments have rushed to integrate its services.
The low-cost model has outperformed many of its Western counterparts, despite U.S. restrictions on Chinese companies producing the most advanced chips.
In February, President Xi Jinping hosted some of the top names in the private sector, including leaders from technology and artificial intelligence companies, urging them to ‘showcase their talents.’
The meeting was attended by Liang Wenfeng, the founder of DeepSec, alongside other representatives from major companies such as Tencent, Huawei, and Xiaomi.”
