AI experimentation moving to wider industry deployment

Visitors check out the large language model for network operation from Cisco at its exhibition area during the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on July 29. CHINA DAILY

China's strong industrial base, rapid technology adoption and growing demand for artificial intelligence applications are creating fresh opportunities for global technology companies, as the country moves from building AI capabilities to applying them at scale across real-economy sectors, a senior executive said.

Ben Dawson, president of Cisco Asia Pacific, Japan and Greater China, said in an exclusive interview with China Daily during the 2026 Summer Davos last month that the country's long-term appeal lies not only in the scale of its market, but also in its ability to turn technological ambition into large-scale industrial application.

"I think China's ambition in AI innovation is really strong," Dawson said on the sidelines of the forum, also known as the World Economic Forum's 17th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, in Dalian, Liaoning province, from June 23-25. "The theme of this forum is very fitting for China — innovating at scale."

His remarks came as China moves faster to create new forms of the smart economy. This year's Government Work Report called for advancing and expanding the AI Plus initiative, promoting the faster application of new-generation intelligent terminals and AI agents, and encouraging large-scale commercial application of AI in key sectors and fields.

Ben Dawson

Having invested in China for more than three decades, Cisco has witnessed the country's transformation through successive waves of digital development, from the build-out of the internet and mobile internet to cloud computing, Dawson said.

He said the next stage of AI development will be shaped not only by breakthroughs in models and computing power, but also by how effectively the technology is applied across industries.

"China has shown its ability to innovate in building AI technology," Dawson said. "I think the next great opportunity is innovating in the use of that technology in sectors."

Smart manufacturing, healthcare, logistics and financial services are among the areas with strong potential for large-scale AI deployment, as they are well-established sectors with considerable room for modernization, he said.

Dawson noted that these industries often involve large-scale operations, standardized processes and growing demand for more efficient service delivery — conditions that make them well-suited to AI adoption.

"They rely a lot on repeatable, consistent processes — something that AI is very adept at delivering more effectively and more consistently," he said.

Market analysts also expect AI adoption in China to accelerate. Xu Bin, head of research at UBS Securities, said 2026 could become a pivotal year for the large-scale adoption of AI agents in China, adding that UBS remains positive about faster AI adoption and expects the industry value chain to continue evolving.

As enterprises move from experimentation to wider deployment, their ability to capture value from AI will depend heavily on preparedness, infrastructure and governance, Dawson said.

Citing Cisco's AI Readiness Index, a global survey the company has conducted for several years, Dawson said many organizations worldwide are still not fully prepared to embrace the changes brought by AI.

The most advanced organizations, he said, tend to share several characteristics: they make AI part of their core business strategy, move quickly from pilot projects to production, embed security into infrastructure design and establish clear governance and measurement systems.

"AI strategy is not a sideline. It is part of their core business strategy," Dawson said.

Beyond individual companies, Dawson said AI could become both a source of strategic advantage for economies and an area where international cooperation will be increasingly important.

"At Cisco, we believe in advancing the global technology sector, and the global economy will rely on a balance between collaboration across industries and countries and a healthy level of competition to move the space forward for everyone," he said.

Looking ahead, Dawson said Cisco will remain committed to China through the next stage of digital transformation.

"We intend to go on that journey," he said. "It is an exciting time, and we will continue investing in and supporting our customers as long as we are needed to continue that transformation."

zhangchenxu@chinadaily.com.cn