Figure 20 Chinese CEOs' expectations of AI driving significant changes in enterprises and industries in one year, %

Expectations for Al transformation rise, and investment appetite strengthens Since early 2025, technological breakthroughs in domestic open-source Large Language Models (LLMs) such as DeepSeek, together with the full rollout of the national Al Plus initiative, have accelerated the adoption and promotion of Al across various sectors, fostering inclusive Al development. The survey indicates that 32% of Chinese CEOs believe Al, particularly generative Al, will drive major changes in their companies and enterprises and industries in one year, % A consensus grows around the onset of the "Al Era," deploying Al has become a strategic imperative for enterprises, and those that do not keep pace risk falling behind. The survey shows that despite ongoing economic uncertainties and operational pressures, 59% of Meanwhile, 83% of Chinese CEOs predict that the share of Al in their company's budget @ 2026 KPMG Huazhen LLP, a People's Republic of China partnership, KPMG Advisory (China) Limited, a limited liability company in Chinese Mainland, KPMG, a Macau SAR partnership, and KPMG, a Hong Kong SAR partnership, are member firms of the KPMG global organisation of