Applying Artificial Intelligence Technology in China's Intelligent Manufacturing Industry

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) extends from consumer intelligence to enterprise intelligence, leading to a strong increase in productivity. Manufacturing sector has become a blue ocean market for AI due to its massive data accumulation. In 2019, AI met industrial Internet of Things at the edge layer, realizing the first year of AI in industrial flooring. The Asia-pacific region has emerged as a potential market for the industrial applications of AI. However, to what extent the use of AI will contribute to manufacturing sector in China remains largely unknown. In this study, qualitative data were collected using a questionnaire survey method. Twenty respondents from 5 different manufacturing enterprises in China were interviewed, and a set of questionnaires were issued to them. The measurement of time and budget commitments indicated that most of the respondents believed that AI projects did not meet enterprise expectations. This may be attributed to different influential factors such as research and development costs, technology monopoly, security issues and management factors. The present study aimed to understand the application status and development prospects of AI in Chinese manufacturing enterprises, fill in the gap between the ideal and reality of AI projects, and promote the economic growth of manufacturing industry.