East Meets West in AI: How the UK businesses and institutions can learn from China

While the UK is making notable innovations in artificial intelligence, our colleague took a closer look at China's rapid and deeply embedded AI ecosystem during a recent visit.  

Beyond a simple AI race, China has cultivated a society where AI awareness permeates daily life. From elementary school curricula introducing AI courses to an 80% adoption rate among business leaders, and a public sector empowered by a unique government-business model, China's approach offers a blueprint for accelerating AI integration. These offer valuable insights for British businesses and institutions.  

Living the AI life

What struck us most was the noticeable public awareness and integration of AI into the daily life of Chinese citizens. Unlike the more nascent stages of public understanding in the UK, AI in China enjoys significant visibility and engagement.  

Here are a few examples: 

1. The topic of AI permeates mainstream Chinese social media. From trending 'AI for dummies’ posts on Xiao Hong Shu (Little Red Book) to short videos on LLM jargon on Douyin (Tik Tok), the topic of AI is discussed on virtually every platform.  

1. Off-line AI learning materials are made readily accessible. Walking into a bookstore in China, often on a major floor, you can see a section dedicated to tech, and now an ‘AI-book’ corner. Libraries dedicate prominent sections to AI-related literature, indicating a strong public appetite for AI knowledge.  

This reflects China’s focus on raising awareness of the importance of AI and to upskilling its labour force ahead of everyone else. Yet, what makes China different from other countries is that the government is taking an active effort to integrate these materials into the daily lives of not only working professionals but every demographic, from children to the elderly. Speak to someone in a major city, and you will feel the difference in AI consciousness between a 50-year-old in China and a 50-year-old elsewhere. 

However, it is important to note that such permeation is limited to Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities – given the size and the diversity of China’s population, it remains a challenge to achieve full-on education.  

AI adoption beyond businesses

Beyond the cultural integration of AI awareness and knowledge, AI in China is also being implemented across a diverse spectrum of organisations. And it goes far beyond just tech companies. 

• Education: China has introduced AI majors in more than 500 universities and colleges since 2018. Elementary schoolers now have the chance to take AI courses to kick start their understanding at a young age. School boards are also offering to include AI within existing courses like science and information technology.  

• Business: AI has been increasingly adopted in everyday business practices across industries in China. According to SAS’s survey, over 80% of Chinese business leaders surveyed are currently using AI, above 54% worldwide average and 65% in the USA. 

• Public sector: AI is being integrated into areas like public security, smart city initiatives, and even local government operations. What makes China more unique is that its local governments function on a B2G (business-to-government) model, making it inherently easier to drive AI growth as partnership and funding comes hand-in-hand.  

AI Governance: the backbone of AI momentum 

While this might seem commonplace in other AI-advanced nations, China is able to accelerate and deepen this integration further. Because AI is a national strategic imperative, China is then able to accelerate and deepen integration further, which can be seen in several key initiatives. 

• National AI Development Plan: China's ambitious "New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan" (NGAIDP) sets a clear objective: to establish China as the global leader in AI by the year 2030. What distinguishes this plan and positions China as a pioneer in AI policy is its careful balance between innovation and ethics, arguably ahead of many other countries. From algorithmic scheduling to regulating potential AI output to protect workers, every factor has been taken into consideration and is subject to continuous review and refinement. 
• Government investment: The sheer scale of governmental investment underscores China's commitment. With a planned allocation of US $1.4 trillion over the next 15 years, the government is laying a robust cornerstone for innovation, the development of cutting-edge infrastructure, and the strategic acquisition of top-tier talent. Additionally, the economy is increasingly favouring private tech sector compared to that of 2024, as Trump’s tariff propels China to boost its domestic economy further.  

These robust and forward-thinking policies, coupled with a well-defined AI governance infrastructure and a monumental influx of investment, are paving the way for the comprehensive development of not only a vibrant AI-driven economy, but also a uniquely integrated cultural phenomenon, where AI understanding and adoption become increasingly commonplace.  

The UK's promising trajectory

United Kingdom is also demonstrating significant ambition in the AI arena. Initiatives like the AI Opportunities Action Plan signal a clear intent. Active participation in AI conferences within the EU and the groundbreaking innovations emerging from UK companies, like Guildhawk, underscore the nation's growing capabilities. 

At Guildhawk, we are proud to be at the forefront of AI development in the UK. Our cutting-edge work in digital human avatars, precise data labeling, and sophisticated machine translation software position us as a key player in this field.  

Our team’s visit to China highlighted several key areas where the UK could further strengthen its AI ecosystem: 

1. Public awareness: Initiatives to enhance public understanding and engagement with AI could foster greater acceptance and adoption. 

1. Cross-sector integration: Facilitating the wider adoption of AI across diverse industries, beyond the tech sector, could lead to significant productivity gains previously untapped in the UK economy.  

1. Sustained investment: continued investment in AI research, infrastructure, and talent development is crucial for the UK to maintain a competitive edge. 
   

Guildhawk as a leading UK innovator 

Our firsthand experience in China reinforces our conviction that AI is the defining technology of our time. Guildhawk is committed to leveraging our innovative solutions and expertise to contribute to this global transformation.  

Just as our Founder and CEO, Jurga Zilinskiene MBE, proudly says:  

‘At Guildhawk, we envision a similar future for the UK – one where innovation is shared, and where AI empowers not only businesses but also our education. Human beings are very talented – much more talented than technology. Therefore, it’s important to continue investing in skills and work together with artificial intelligence.’  

We are committed to providing innovative technologies, like GAI Translate, to help people and the UK to realise this vision, learning from global advancements while charting our own unique course in AI innovation.  

Contact us to find out more today.