By 2030, the consumer artificial intelligence (AI) market in China could reach 294 billion yuan (approximately $44 billion), according to a report by Morgan Stanley. By 2026, the monetizable market volume is expected to reach 54 billion yuan, indicating significant growth. Approximately 99% of the potential revenue will come from advertising and commissions on purchases made through AI recommendations. It is projected that transaction fees will account for about 281 billion yuan, while advertising will only contribute 10 billion yuan, and subscriptions for AI features will bring in around 3 billion yuan.
China has already established itself as a global leader in consumer AI. This is due to a widely developed mobile internet network and the integration of AI into the daily lives of the population. According to an AlphaWise survey, 80% of respondents in China use AI for personal needs at least once a week, while in the U.S., this figure is only 54%. More than 77% of working AI users in China apply AI technologies in their professional activities. Chinese internet ecosystems, such as WeChat from Tencent and Qwen from Alibaba, play a key role in this process, effectively linking user queries with purchasing results and services.
However, analysts noted a decline in the number of users willing to pay for AI, from 41% to 35%. Only 21% of respondents prefer subscription as a payment method, with the average maximum willingness to pay being 41 yuan (~$6) per month. Nevertheless, according to the study, about 75% of survey participants found integrated AI features useful, and 57% stated that such features could increase purchase frequency. The importance of ecosystems like WeChat or Taobao lies in their existing infrastructure for AI integration, allowing for instant connections between user queries and specific products and services.
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