International Data Corporation forecasts that the number of active global agents will grow from 79.4 million in 2026 to 2.216 billion in 2030, a compound annual growth rate of 129.8%, while global token consumption will surge at a CAGR of 4,822.6%. China's active-agent count is projected to grow at a 151.2% CAGR, with token consumption CAGR as high as 3,499.3%.
As agent tasks evolve from simple information retrieval and content generation toward multi-round reasoning, tool calling and cross-system collaboration, token consumption is amplifying exponentially — and the global computing industry is undergoing a structural, paradigm-level transformation, industry insiders say.
China has set phased goals for its "AI+" action: adoption of new-generation smart terminals and agents above 70% by 2027, and above 90% by 2030. Beijing recently released measures to accelerate agent leadership, offering up to 100 million yuan in funding for key projects in technology R&D, shared platforms and demonstration applications. Per the 2026 China AI Computing Power Development Assessment Report jointly released by IDC and Inspur Information, Beijing, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Nanjing, Wuhan, Jinan and Suzhou top the 2026 China AI computing-city ranking, with Beijing's smart-computing infrastructure investment reaching $17.684 billion.
Source: Xinhua / IDC / Inspur Information
