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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Chan Ho-Him

The rapid embrace of AI in China, its biggest testing ground, may shape how AI is used globally

China AI Ambitions - (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

On a recent weekday, around 50 people gathered outside the headquarters of a Chinese mobile internet company, waiting to get help with installing an artificial intelligence assistant.

The scene in Beijing, China's capital, was repeated for days at several events and was also seen in the southern technology hub Shenzhen in March, as engineers helped crowds trying to set up the popular AI “agent” OpenClaw on their laptops.

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