The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's General Office recently issued a notice on launching a special initiative to cultivate artificial intelligence application service providers, aiming to establish a resource pool for these providers and promote the development of the sector.

The initiative seeks to enhance the technological innovation, system integration, and security compliance capabilities of service providers, while also building a team of AI application service providers that understand industry challenges, grasp technical principles, and are familiar with security risks and delivery operations.

By the end of 2026, the resource pool is expected to include more than 2,000 service providers, with plans to create a well-structured, multi-level ecosystem characterized by clear division of labor and collaborative innovation. This should significantly improve the capability to deliver solutions in complex scenarios.

Looking ahead to the end of 2027, the target is to have no fewer than 3,000 service providers in the national resource pool, supporting the formation of a comprehensive AI application service ecosystem with full-factor collaboration, complete chain integration, and full-scenario coverage.

Notably, the notice highlights plans to open up real-world scenarios to actively involve service providers in practical implementation, thereby driving technology development and commercialization. This approach aims to create benchmark solutions and generate demonstration effects.

Additionally, the initiative encourages exploring models such as first-purchase or risk compensation mechanisms to increase procurement of large models, intelligent agents, and tokens, thereby improving the quality and efficiency of model adoption across industries.

In regions where conditions permit, comprehensive service systems for international expansion will be established, leveraging cooperation platforms such as the Belt and Road Initiative, BRICS, and China-ASEAN mechanisms to facilitate the overseas deployment of high-quality AI application projects.