Zhang Yaqin: Ten Years of "AI+" Taking Root, Artificial Intelligence Shows Three Major New Trends

LightningPacketLoss · 2026-03-29T18:13:31+00:00

At the Boao Asia Forum, Zhang Yaqin reflected on the "AI+" concept proposed ten years ago, believing that the AI industry is developing along three trends: generative AI transforming into intelligent agents, the integration of physical and biological intelligence, and AI becoming the foundational thinking of industries. At the same time, he emphasized AI safety risks, advocating for mandatory labeling, accountability mechanisms, and bans on self-iteration, predicting that AI will deeply integrate into production and daily life in the future.

LightningPacketLoss

2026-03-29 18:13:31

Abstract generation in progress

Source: Boao Forum for Asia

“Ten years ago, it was probably in this room, where the topic of discussion was ‘Internet+’ and what the next stop would be. I proposed ‘AI+’.” On March 25, at the Boao Forum for Asia 2026 Annual Conference sub-forum titled “AI+: Smart Intelligence Empowering Industrial Upgrades,” Zhang Yaqin, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, chair professor at Tsinghua University, and founding dean of the Tsinghua University Intelligent Industry Research Institute, recalled that he was the first to propose the ‘AI+’ concept in Boao a decade ago. Today, this idea has transformed from a concept into reality, becoming a core direction for empowering the real economy and driving industrial upgrades.

Zhang Yaqin believes that the current AI industry exhibits three core trends: First, generative AI is fully transitioning to agent-based AI, with 2026 being the dawn of agent-based AI, leading to an explosion of applications in fields such as industry, consumer goods, and pharmaceuticals; Second, there is an evolution from information intelligence to the integration of physical intelligence and biological intelligence, with embodied intelligence such as autonomous driving and robotics accelerating their deployment; Third, AI is upgrading from a technical tool to an underlying industry mindset, fundamentally reshaping the development logic of various industries.

In response to AI safety risks, Zhang Yaqin proposed three pragmatic measures: mandatory labeling of AI-generated content, with China being the first to legislate this; all agents must have clearly defined responsible entities to ensure traceability and accountability; and a strict prohibition on agents self-generating iterations. He noted that currently over 65% of internet content is AI-generated, leading to content pollution that causes model pollution, making prevention and control urgent. Zhang Yaqin predicts that in the next ten to twenty years, AI will be deeply integrated into production and daily life, becoming an omnipresent foundational capability that truly realizes deep integration with the real economy.

(Edited by: Wenjing)

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Zhang Yaqin

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