The 'Reshape · Empower' 2026 China Digital Industry Ecology Conference, organized by China Business Journal, was held on August 5 in Beijing. The conference brought together leaders from aviation, liquor, materials, logistics, robotics, gaming, consulting, agriculture, food, and healthcare sectors to exchange practical experiences on AI-driven transformation.
Central to the discussions was the concept that AI has evolved from a tool to a foundational layer — what participants described as the 'base infrastructure' for industry transformation. AI Agent technology, industrial digitalization, embodied intelligence, and industrial value reconstruction were the key themes explored across multiple panel sessions.
The conference highlighted that 'AI+' is accelerating its penetration into every industry. In aviation, AI is being used for route optimization, predictive maintenance, and passenger experience personalization. In logistics, AI-powered systems are enabling end-to-end supply chain visibility and autonomous decision-making. In agriculture, precision farming powered by AI is improving yields while reducing resource consumption.
Embodied intelligence — the integration of AI with physical robotic systems — emerged as a particularly hot topic. Conference participants noted that China's combination of AI software capability and manufacturing ecosystem creates unique advantages in this emerging field, where AI models are embedded in physical robots that can interact with and manipulate the real world.
The conference also addressed the challenges of AI adoption, including talent gaps, data quality issues, and the need for industry-specific AI solutions rather than one-size-fits-all approaches. Participants emphasized that successful AI transformation requires not just technology adoption but fundamental business process reengineering.
Industry value reconstruction was a recurring theme, with multiple speakers noting that AI is not just improving efficiency within existing business models but enabling entirely new value propositions and business models that were previously impossible.
