The two products differ sharply in form and audience, but share a common logic: both began with a concrete problem rather than with a technology in search of a use, an industry observer said.

　　That shift is also becoming more visible across China"s AI policy agenda.

　　A policy document issued by eight departments in June called for accelerating "AI plus consumption" by leveraging China"s vast market, broad consumption scenarios and rich data resources. It called for faster rollout of new AI products, services and application scenarios, including AI glasses, smart home products and robots, while stressing that robot development should be driven by market demand.

　　The policy also reflects China"s broader push to advance AI development since the start of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period, providing clearer guidance for its wider application, a Chinese expert said.

　　The change is subtle but important. As AI moves out of laboratories and into wider commercial use, the question is becoming less about what a model can technically do, and more about whether it can solve a problem someone actually has, Ma Jihua, a veteran industry analyst, told the Global Times.

　　The growing variety of such AI service products suggests that one of the next stages of China"s AI development may be defined not only by larger models and stronger computing power, but by how closely technology can fit into the details of everyday life, Ma said.

　　Held from September 23 to 27, the expo brought together 2,008 exhibitors, including 996 AI companies, 402 overseas companies and 55 Fortune Global 500 companies, the Zhejiang Daily reported. More than 47,000 professional buyers from 132 countries and regions registered for the event, including more than 12,000 international buyers, with preliminary international procurement demand totaling $1.085 billion, the report said.