China has surpassed 700 million generative AI users in the first half of 2026, bringing the technology's adoption rate to more than 50% of the population. The data are part of the Generative Artificial Intelligence Application Development Report 2026, released this Tuesday (29) by the China Internet Network Information Center, CNNIC.
The advance rapidly expands the base recorded at the end of 2025, when the country had 602 million users and a penetration rate of 42.8%. In six months, therefore, at least 98 million people joined this base, a minimum growth of about 16%.
Questions lead usage, and productivity tools advance
Questions and queries remain the main use of the technology. According to the survey, 76% of users use generative AI to obtain answers, while 47.8% turn to the tools to work with images or videos. Another 37.6% use AI for text processing and 32.5% for tasks such as work summaries, meeting minutes and presentations.
CNNIC also recorded an acceleration in the use of tools aimed at everyday tasks and productivity. The frequency of use of general AI assistants and work-efficiency applications more than doubled in a year, indicating that the expansion occurs not only in the number of people reached, but also in repeat usage.
The 700 million mark consolidates a growth trajectory that gained speed throughout 2025. At the end of that year, the number of generative AI users had already advanced 141.7% compared with December 2024, raising the adoption rate from 17.6% to 42.8% of the population.
The expansion occurs in parallel with an increase in the supply of services in the Chinese market. Data from the Cyberspace Administration of China show that, as of August 31, 1,112 generative AI services had completed the official registration process in the country, in addition to 731 applications or features that use already registered models.
