AsianFin -- China has laid out its most aggressive plan yet for artificial intelligence, setting targets to make AI a mainstream part of daily life and the economy within the next decade.

Under a State Council directive issued this week, Beijing aims for 70% of the population to be using AI-powered smart devices, intelligent agents, and related applications by 2027 — a pace of adoption comparable to the smartphone boom. That would translate to roughly 980 million people regularly relying on AI tools within just three years.

The policy envisions AI permeating six major areas — technology, industry, consumption, governance, welfare, and global cooperation — with the goal of “reshaping modes of production and everyday life” and driving a “revolutionary leap in productive forces.”

By 2030, penetration rates are expected to surpass 90%, setting the stage for what Beijing describes as a full-fledged “intelligent economy and intelligent society” by 2035.