China to use AI in elder care as population ages: official

China said Sunday it will accelerate the
use of artificial intelligence and big data in elderly and social care as it
bets on new technologies to drive economic growth despite an ageing
population.

The announcement comes as officials grapple with the country’s low birth rate
and a declining workforce.

“We will accelerate the development and application of new technologies and
products such as big data and artificial intelligence in the fields of social
assistance, elderly care services, and services for the disabled,” civil
affairs minister Lu Zhiyuan said at a news conference during China’s annual
“Two Sessions” political gathering.

The move would make services “more convenient, more accessible and more
standardised”, Lu said.

China’s population fell for the third year in a row in 2024 and it already
has more than 310 million people aged 60 and over.

As the workforce shrinks, the government has increasingly looked to
technology to drive future economic growth.

Local governments have rushed to implement DeepSeek’s AI model into their
services since the privately run Chinese company released the latest version
of its chatbot in January.

DeepSeek’s cut-price model outperformed many of its Western AI competitors
despite US curbs on sales of advanced AI chips to Chinese companies.

President Xi Jinping pointed to official support for the sector when he held
a rare symposium for private companies last month that included several AI
and technology bosses, telling them to “show their talents”.

DeepSeek’s founder Liang Wenfeng attended, along with representatives from
top technology firms such as Tencent, Huawei and Xiaomi. (BSS/AFP)