China's NDRC to expand the 'AI Plus' initiative in the 15th Five-Year Plan

According to a CCTV report, China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) announced on November 12, 2026 that during the '15th Five-Year Plan' period, the country will let real-world deployment drive technological innovation and deepen its 'AI Plus' initiative. In terms of application research, priority will be given to scenarios described as risky, dirty, tiring, complex, and difficult — including mining, high-altitude work, and emergency disaster response — with the goal of addressing long-standing industry pain points through AI. The plan also calls for continued construction of national AI application pilot bases in manufacturing, energy, transportation, and healthcare. These bases will address shared industry problems by coordinating the supply of compute, models, and data, while accelerating standard-setting and application rollout to lower the barrier to AI adoption across industries. In parallel, the NDRC said it will improve the policy framework and governance rules under 'AI Plus', optimize the regulatory environment, respond to AI's broader societal effects, and ensure development remains people-centric and beneficial.