 and big data to combat its increasing aging population problem.){kind=link}
China is resorting to artificial intelligence (AI) and big data to combat its increasing aging population problem. While the population of the country fell for the third year running in 2024, with more than 310 million aged 60 years and older, the government is advocating for technological interventions to ensure sustainable development.
Improving Elderly and Social Care Services
Civil affairs minister Lu Zhiyuan recently unveiled the plan at China’s annual “Two Sessions” political convention, stressing that new technologies are needed to upgrade social services, elderly care and services for the handicapped. The aim is to make the services “more convenient, more accessible and more standardised.”
This strategic pivot toward AI and big data is not solely a reaction to China’s low birth rate and dwindling workforce. It also represents China’s commitment to maintaining economic momentum despite a declining working-age population. DeepSeek, a Chinese AI company, is playing a significant role in this transformation. Its latest AI model, DeepSeek-R1, has rapidly gained popularity, even surpassing OpenAI’s ChatGPT as the most-downloaded free app on the iOS App Store in the United States.
Overcoming Barriers with Homegrown Technology
Chinese local authorities have already incorporated DeepSeek’s AI model into their service offerings, an action that attests to the country’s desperation in responding to the social and economic implications of its aged population. This achievement occurs as much as there is continued U.S. prohibition on the sale of highly advanced AI chips to Chinese entities, proving China’s commitment to becoming an AI leader.
President Xi Jinping’s recent summit with technology executives, such as DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng, further emphasises China’s official support of the AI industry. The summit also had representatives from technology giants Tencent, Huawei and Xiaomi, with the President encouraging them to “show their talents.”
As China speeds up its push to incorporate AI and big data into old-age and social care, the world is observing how well this approach will cushion the effects of its population crisis. If it works, it may provide a template for other aging populations with similar problems.
Read More: Chinese Scientists Develop World’s First Carbon-Based AI Chip
Future Outlook
Over the next several years, AI-based solutions could become indispensable instruments in coping with the intricacies of care for the elderly so that China can stay on the trajectory of technological development even as its population ages.
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