Le Monde: China: Artificial Intelligence Has Become a Key Tool for the New Round of Transformation and Upgrading in the Manufacturing Sector of the Pearl River Delta

Artificial intelligence is becoming a crucial driving force behind the new round of transformation and upgrading in manufacturing enterprises across the Pearl River Delta. With its complete industrial chain, proactive government policy support, and continuously growing innovation capacity, southern China is striving to integrate AI into every stage of manufacturing to enhance industrial competitiveness.

Le Monde reports that in factories across China’s Pearl River Delta region, artificial intelligence is emerging as a new engine for factory development. AI is no longer just a cutting-edge technology limited to the internet industry—it has become an essential tool for enhancing efficiency, reducing costs, and improving product quality in the manufacturing sector of the Pearl River Delta.

The article begins with the case of DeRucci, a mattress manufacturer based in Dongguan, to illustrate how traditional Chinese manufacturing is undergoing transformation driven by AI. In the past, DeRucci built its high-end brand image using a European-sounding name. Today, it positions itself as a representative of China’s intelligent manufacturing. The company's factories now extensively use robotic arms, automated material-handling robots, and smart production lines, achieving highly automated operations with only a small number of workers needed for monitoring. The smart mattresses produced by the company integrate air chambers, sensors, and AI algorithms, enabling real-time monitoring of sleep patterns, breathing, heart rate, and body posture, and automatically adjusting firmness levels to deliver more personalized sleeping experiences.

Enterprises Driving Industrial Upgrading Through AI

According to Le Monde’s related article, artificial intelligence has become the defining keyword for the development of the entire manufacturing industry in the Pearl River Delta. The recently adopted "14th Five-Year Plan" of China explicitly identifies AI and advanced robotics technologies as key engines for future economic growth. In manufacturing hubs such as Dongguan, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, this strategic orientation can be felt everywhere—from enterprises and industrial parks to bus stop advertisements. Cities like Dongguan, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou in Guangdong Province are accelerating the deep integration of artificial intelligence (AI) with automation and robotics technologies, aiming to achieve industrial upgrading through smart manufacturing and strengthen the international competitive edge of “Made in China.” Artificial intelligence is no longer merely a new technology in the internet industry—it has become a vital instrument for manufacturers to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance product quality.

Le Monde notes that for a long time, the Pearl River Delta has developed the world’s most complete manufacturing supply chain. From component suppliers to final assemblers, along with logistics, inspection, and certification institutions, all stages are highly concentrated, offering exceptional collaborative capabilities. Today, artificial intelligence is further amplifying this advantage. By leveraging intelligent vision systems, big data analytics, and advanced algorithms, robots can not only perform repetitive tasks but also process increasingly complex and precise products, boosting production efficiency, minimizing human error, and helping companies adapt to the new manufacturing model characterized by small batches, diverse varieties, and rapid delivery.

AI Reshaping the Ecosystem of Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Le Monde also highlights that in the Pearl River Delta, AI development is not confined to large factories—it is reshaping the entire local ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship. For instance, in Shenzhen’s Huaqiangbei electronics district, local governments have implemented policies such as providing low-rent office spaces, computing power subsidies, financial incentives for purchasing large AI models, and funding for equipment upgrades, attracting a large number of electronics firms, AI startups, and entrepreneurial teams to congregate in Huaqiangbei. A young entrepreneur in Huaqiangbei managed to develop an AI plush toy launched during the Spring Festival within just two weeks. Design, procurement, manufacturing, and assembly were almost entirely completed in the vicinity of his office, fully demonstrating the efficiency advantages brought by the highly concentrated supply chain ecosystem in Shenzhen.

AI Empowering Industrial Robots

Artificial intelligence is also driving continuous upgrades in industrial robots. For example, a robotics company in Dongguan has equipped its robots with intelligent vision technology, enabling them to automatically identify different products, adjust parameters on their own, and autonomously reconfigure programs without requiring manual reconfiguration—dramatically reducing changeover time. This flexible manufacturing approach is particularly suitable for industries such as fashion toys and consumer electronics, which feature fast product cycles and smaller batch sizes.

Meanwhile, Pearl River Delta enterprises are also leveraging AI to enhance their international competitiveness, expand global footprints, and enter overseas markets.

Continued Dependence on Foreign Chips

However, Le Monde also points out that China’s manufacturing sector still faces certain challenges in developing AI. Currently, many high-end AI devices continue to rely on chips produced by U.S.-based companies such as NVIDIA. Under the backdrop of escalating U.S.-China technological competition, this dependence poses a potential risk to industrial development.

Additionally, regarding employment concerns arising from AI adoption, enterprises across the Pearl River Delta generally state they will strengthen employee training to help workers transition into higher-skilled roles. Nevertheless, experts caution that it will still take considerable time before robots can fully autonomously handle all production tasks.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1870045591285067/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the publisher.