**Shanghai**: Chinese firms are poised to lead the AI revolution by adopting a comprehensive AI mindset, reshaping strategies and structures. Experts emphasise data utilisation, talent evolution, and innovation as key to thrive in an AI-driven global economy.
Chinese companies are poised to take a leading role in the era of artificial intelligence (AI) transformation, propelled by the adoption of an “AI mindset” and the integration of AI technologies into business management, according to experts and industry leaders speaking at a recent forum in Shanghai.
Edward Tse, founder and CEO of Gao Feng Advisory Company, highlighted the profound impact AI is set to have on industries. Speaking on Saturday, he emphasised that AI will fundamentally reshape and disrupt traditional industry boundaries by enabling firms and individuals to leverage capabilities that cross multiple sectors. This transformation is driven by AI’s rapid technological advancements unparalleled in previous industrial or internet eras.
A white book released by Gao Feng Advisory underscores the critical importance of cultivating an AI mindset among business leaders. This mindset entails more than mere familiarity with AI technologies—it calls for a comprehensive rethinking of business strategy, organisational structures, workflows, talent management, and corporate culture to fully embrace AI across all dimensions of an organisation.
Industry specialists noted that as AI becomes more mature and widespread, companies will gain instantaneous access to vast external and internal knowledge bases. With the traditional core competencies of businesses—accumulated knowledge and experience—becoming less distinctive, the emerging hallmark of competitive advantage will be the ability to continuously generate new knowledge and ideas. The white book stated, “The real challenge for organisations in promoting the application of AI is not about the most advanced large models, but about the ability to transform their own data into knowledge and insights through continuous governance.”
The evolution of AI agents is also anticipated to trigger significant changes in how people collaborate with AI-enabled ‘employees’. Business workflows and processes will adapt, with organisational structures becoming flatter and diminishing the role of traditional middle management. In this new environment, soft skills such as critical thinking, creativity and communication will gain prominence over purely technical expertise. According to experts, business leaders will need to evolve into “thought leaders,” guiding teams to generate innovative ideas and explore opportunities in the AI-driven landscape.
Although many companies are in the early stages of AI adoption, consensus among business leaders attending the forum was clear: AI-driven transformation is essential to future success. Li Chengjie, vice-president and chief digital officer at Chinese dairy giant Mengniu, identified four core competencies for companies in the AI era: efficiency, data management, pattern innovation, and optimisation of organisational structure. She stressed the importance of adopting an “All in AI” perspective to holistically drive business transformation.
Wu Zongxun, vice president and chief intelligent technology officer at Fosun International, highlighted the vital role of data in AI transformation during the forum. “AI transformation is undoubtedly obligatory for companies, and the question is about how to make it,” he said. “The application and understanding of data is critical. Even though AI may have learned most data in the world, it could barely understand the internal operational data in your own business. So the processing and utilisation of such data will be extremely important. We need to find patterns hidden behind the data, and then extract the patterns and turn them into replicable abilities to drive business growth. Such abilities will be the core competencies of companies in the future.”
The Shanghai forum showcased the growing recognition within China’s business community that embracing AI technologies, coupled with strategic organisational shifts, will be central to maintaining competitiveness in an increasingly AI-driven global economy.
Source: Noah Wire Services
