AsianFin--The number of effective artificial intelligence (AI) invention patents in China reached 378,000 by the end of 2023, representing a year-on-year growth rate of over 40 percent, the country's top intellectual property regulator released the data on Monday.

"The growth rate in China is 1.4 times higher than the global average," the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) said at a press conference in Beijing.

The AI industry exemplifies China's digital economy's robust innovation vitality. Last year, the digital economy's core industries contributed 10 percent of the GDP.