From TCM to welding: The new digital economy

Guided by a digital avatar, visitors at the 2026 Global Digital Economy Conference in Beijing stand before an intelligent diagnostic device to complete facial and ocular scanning. Within minutes, a personalized health report is generated, which once required in-person examinations conducted by traditional Chinese medicine practitioners.

Zhou Chao, business manager at Guanwei Intelligent Technology (Beijing), the device's developer, said the company leverages AI to digitize, standardize and modernize TCM diagnosis and treatment, enabling time-honored medical wisdom to benefit more people worldwide.

The intelligent diagnostic device is already available in over a dozen language versions, including English, Korean, Russian and Thai, and is expanding into overseas markets, Zhou added.

The technology was among many innovative products and digital solutions displayed by global creators at the conference, held in Beijing from July 2-5. With a focus on addressing diverse human needs, many exhibits offered a preview of a people-centered future for the digital economy in China and across the world.

Another standout innovator, intelligent robotics firm Xiaoyubot, showcased its state-of-the-art smart welding system at the event.

Inside the exhibition hall, a staff member marked a path across steel structures with a positioning pen and selected a welding procedure. A robotic arm instantly positioned itself and commenced automated welding operations.

According to the company, new operators can master the system in just three minutes. The technology can be widely applied in shipyards, steel-structure workshops and other industrial welding scenarios.

Beyond improving efficiency in shipbuilding and construction-component manufacturing, the system relieves workers from harsh operating conditions characterized by intense heat, glaring light and toxic fumes.

"The ultimate value of embodied intelligence lies in serving the real economy," said Qiao Zhongliang, Xiaoyubot's founder and CEO.

Founded in 2023, the company has focused on industrial applications, particularly intelligent welding, a field with strong market demand. Xiaoyubot will continue to advance industrial embodied intelligence and contribute to the intelligent transformation of manufacturing, Qiao said.

As AI technologies advance rapidly, a growing number of Chinese demand-driven innovations are emerging, injecting fresh momentum into the global digital economy.

Across Beijing and many other Chinese cities, robot dogs and AI-powered travel photography services have become popular among children and young adults, reflecting the deepening integration of digital technologies into daily life.