In 2025, artificial intelligence is quietly transforming daily life in China, from smart homes to wearable devices and voice shopping. Executives from JD.com and Alibaba highlight surging consumer demand, with AI features now essential for many products. Experts view this as smart living moving from concept to mainstream adoption.
Artificial intelligence is shifting from screen-based interactions to a constant presence in daily life, sensing contexts, anticipating needs, and acting autonomously in smartphones, wearables, home appliances, and more. JD.com CEO Sandy Xu Ran stated at the Davos World Economic Forum that 2025 marks a pivotal year for AI consumption, with AI-related searches on the platform surging nearly 100-fold. A survey showed nearly half of respondents view AI capabilities as a must-have feature.
Xu emphasized: "Artificial intelligence has effectively become a baseline requirement for many products." Zhu Keli, founding director of the China Institute of New Economy, attributed the trend to maturing technologies, rising demand, and industry collaboration, noting consumers' expectations for convenience and personalization are accelerating AI's real-world adoption.
In home settings, smart ecosystems use user data to learn habits and adjust lights, temperatures, and routines. COLMO's AI butler system illustrates this: Saying "I'm home" sets the living room to 26°C, activates humidifying and air-purifying, and adjusts curtains and lights; "I'm about to start cooking" preheats the steam oven, runs the range hood on low, lights it, starts dishwasher prerinse, and dims kitchen lights. A COLMO representative said the whole-home smart sector is focusing on personalized needs and deeper interactions, shifting to scenario-based integration and proactive intelligence for explosive growth.
On the go, AI glasses overlay navigation, translation, and hands-free recording into the wearer's view. A Rokid AI glasses buyer shared on Xiaohongshu: It allows capturing everyday moments from a first-person perspective, a truly hands-free experience. Vice-Minister of Industry and Information Technology Zhang Yunming reported smart glasses shipments exceeded 1.78 million units in the first three quarters of 2025, with nearly 80% AI-powered. JD.com data shows sales surged tenfold year-on-year. International Data Corp forecasts 2026 as a key turning point for mass rollout in China.
For shopping, Alibaba's Qwen integrates with Taobao and Alipay, enabling voice commands like "order a milk tea" to find the nearest merchant, match products, and confirm payment without app switches. Alibaba Vice President Wu Jia said AI is gaining real-world action capabilities: "We will continue step by step, aiming to make Qwen the most capable human-AI assistant." Zhu Keli added that AI products will drive growth from mid- to high-end innovation and broader access through upgrades. Late last year, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and five others issued an action plan emphasizing AI's role in aligning consumer goods supply and demand. Chinese firms are expanding globally, with Rokid accelerating retail in Asia and Europe. Zhu noted China's global edge in AI hardware stems from its mature industrial chain.
