China’s artificial intelligence push is no longer confined to exhibition halls or research demos. It is increasingly appearing in places people use every day, from classrooms and roads to hospitals, factories, and even household tasks.
That shift was on display at the World Intelligence Expo 2026 in Tianjin, where more than 700 participants presented advanced technologies, products, and AI application scenarios across four days. The event highlighted how quickly AI is moving from concept to routine use in real-life settings.
AI enters schools in practical ways
Education has become one of the clearest examples of that transition. At the iFLYTEK Co., Ltd. booth, the iFLYTEK AI Board drew attention by combining a traditional blackboard with an electronic display.
The system can digitize handwritten equations immediately. That makes abstract mathematics easier for students to visualize and understand.
AI is also being used beyond classroom theory. At Tianjin Xinhua Second High School, students performed squats, jumps, and landings while following instructions from an electronic guide.
Their jump distances were announced through a voice system and uploaded in real time to the teacher’s device. The setup provides immediate analysis of physical performance and student fitness indicators.
Dong Bin, deputy general manager of brand marketing at iFLYTEK, said AI is transforming education in a way that has not been seen before. He said the technology frees teachers from repetitive work and allows students to focus more on meaningful self-development.
According to iFLYTEK, the company has provided smart education products and solutions to more than 50,000 schools across China. It said those deployments have benefited more than 130 million teachers and students.
Robots move into public spaces
Outside education, embodied intelligence has become another visible frontier. Visitors at the expo saw robots operating in realistic scenarios, including cooking, giving massages, refueling vehicles, and performing music.
One of the most notable examples was the Aimoga Smart Police Robot. The wheeled traffic police robot can move its arms with precision while demonstrating traffic control in real-world conditions.
It has already been deployed in several Chinese cities, including Hefei, Wuhu, and Changzhou. There, it serves as a smart assistant for traffic police officers.
Chen Gaoyuan, a staff member at AiMOGA Robotics Technology Co., Ltd., said the robot is equipped with lidar and 360-degree cameras. Those systems allow it to navigate autonomously, understand its surroundings, and interact with people.
He said the robot can help with traffic management, road patrols, and the prevention of traffic violations. It is also useful for handling repetitive and physically demanding work during large events or peak holiday travel periods.
AiMOGA says its main goal is to accelerate the transition of robotics from technology demonstration to commercial deployment in the real world. Its humanoid robots, traffic police robots, and medical service robots have been exported to more than 50 countries and regions.
Those products are now used in automotive dealerships, exhibition spaces, public service facilities, hospitals, and traffic management. The reach shows that China’s AI market is expanding beyond domestic use and into overseas markets as well.
Household and industrial use cases expand
PaXini Technology used its booth to showcase humanoid robots and multidimensional touch-sensing technology. Its products have already been applied in precision manufacturing, automotive production lines, and medical rehabilitation.
Lin Tong, a senior executive at PaXini Technology (Tianjin) Co., Ltd., said the TORA series humanoid robots can prepare and deliver meals, make coffee, clean tables, handle household chores, and carry out a range of service functions.
He added that the company has formed partnerships with several leading international companies. Its products and solutions now serve markets in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific.
Lin said China’s embodied intelligence industry has strengths in deployment speed, diversity of application scenarios, and supply chain coordination. He also said China offers a natural real-world training ground for embodied intelligence because of its varied manufacturing base, complete supply chains, and broad robot application environment.
Policy and scale keep the sector moving
The rapid expansion is also backed by policy support. China released a new-generation AI development plan in 2017 and later issued guidelines to implement the “AI Plus” initiative.
The country’s 15th Five-Year Plan for 2026-2030 also calls for full implementation of the initiative. The goal is to promote AI-driven development and accelerate innovation across sectors.
According to the National Data Administration of China, the country holds the world’s largest number of AI patents, accounting for about 60 percent of global AI patents. China’s core AI industry scale has also surpassed 1.2 trillion yuan.
Chen Jiachang, China’s vice minister of science and technology, said AI is accelerating deep integration with multiple industries. He said this process is strengthening traditional sectors while driving breakthroughs in productivity and efficiency.
Chen added that embodied intelligence, brain-inspired AI, and brain-computer interfaces are expected to create new growth areas and business models. That direction is helping position AI as a central force in China’s broader smart living agenda.
