(Yicai) May 25 -- China will focus on building high-quality industry datasets and a nationwide integrated computing power network to deepen the market-oriented allocation reform of data elements and promote high-quality development of the token economy, according to the director of the National Data Administration.

The significant increase in China’s average daily token usage clearly shows that the country’s artificial intelligence development has entered a phase of rapid growth, with application scenarios continuously deepening from conversational capabilities to AI agents capable of decision-making and execution, Liu Liehong said at a symposium on May 22.

The symposium focused on promoting the development of the token economy into the work framework of the NDA. Tokens are the smallest processing units for large models to handle text, code, images, audio, video, and other information, and have become the standard metering, billing, and statistics measurement of AI services, linking tech supply with business demand and providing quantitative support for the implementation of AI application business models.

China’s AI industry has significantly enhanced its competitiveness, marking a substantial increase in dataset availability and the continuous release of data elements’ value, Liu said, adding that the AI innovation development energized by data elements has entered a stage of benign interaction.

China’s average daily token usage exceeded 140 trillion in March, up from about 100 billion at the beginning of 2024 and 100 trillion at the end of last year, according to statistics released by the NDA.

China Telecom, China Mobile, and China Unicom launched nationwide or regional token-based service packages for individuals, businesses, and developers last week. The country’s three biggest telecom carriers aim to transform AI computing power from a resource exclusive to data centers into a public service that can be ordered and paid for based on usage quantity, much like mobile data.

The telecom operators entering the token sector open up access to inclusive AI for ordinary consumers and promote deep integration among communications, computing power, and AI industries, creating new opportunities and space for China’s digital economy, industry insiders pointed out.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Martin Kadiev