China aims to enable half of all new cars with AI by 2020

China aims to implement artificial intelligence technology in at least half of all its new cars by 2020 and cover 90 percent of its big cities and highways with a wireless network that can support smart vehicles, its top state planner said on Friday.

These goals are part of a draft for a national smart car strategy that the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) wants to seek public feedback for, it said in a statement.

China is aiming to become a world leader in artificial intelligence by 2025, with an aim to grow its core AI industries to over 150 billion yuan (US$22.15 billion) by 2020. Smart cars are a key part of the project.

The NDRC said it wanted to build a national team with officials from the State Council to guide smart car innovation and planned to encourage the launch of preferential policies for related businesses which could include tax cuts.

The NDRC also said it hoped that China would gain a global reputation for quality smart cars by 2035.