In a significant development reflecting China’s evolving technological priorities, ‘AI governance’ has emerged as the foremost buzzword in the nation’s 2025 technology lexicon. The Chinese Society for Science and Technology Journalism unveiled this ranking, highlighting a global transition in artificial intelligence from pure technological competition toward establishing comprehensive regulatory frameworks.
Yin Chuanhong, President of the Science Popularization Times, emphasized during the announcement ceremony that ‘ensuring safe, reliable, and controllable AI development has become the most pressing issue for the global community.’ He noted China’s growing recognition that technological advancement must be complemented by sophisticated governance mechanisms to guarantee sustainable progress.
The selection process, which integrated big data analytics with expert assessment, also identified nine other pivotal technological terms: embodied intelligence, controlled nuclear fusion, brain-computer interface, commercial space, deep-sea technology, deep-space exploration, silver economy technology, intelligent agents, and Chinese innovation. These concepts reflect China’s strategic focus areas and remarkable breakthroughs during the year.
China’s leadership in global AI governance gained international recognition, with the prestigious journal Nature acknowledging the country’s pioneering role. This was further demonstrated at the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, where China proposed establishing a World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization and released the Global AI Governance Action Plan.
Substantial progress was reported across multiple frontier technologies. Controlled nuclear fusion witnessed a milestone achievement with the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor organization completing its massive superconducting electromagnet system. China’s brain-computer interface industry achieved breakthroughs in core technologies and multi-scenario applications, earning designation as one of six priority future industries in the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan.
The commercial space sector demonstrated remarkable growth, with the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site and Oriental Spaceport achieving regular launch capabilities. Private rocket companies successfully deployed numerous carrier rockets, while satellite manufacturing facilities established capacity for mass production of hundreds of satellites annually, paving the way for a trillion-yuan market.
Concurrently, the society released the ‘Top 10 Science and Technology News Events of 2025,’ featuring landmark achievements including DeepSeek’s open-source large models, the Zuchongzhi-3 quantum computing prototype, the world’s first humanoid robot half-marathon, and the commissioning of China’s first electromagnetic catapult aircraft carrier, the CNS Fujian.