• China’s internet giants Baidu, Alibaba and Kunlun have been quick on the uptake after ChatGPT was unveiled last year, adding to the conflict in the US-China tech war
• It has long been suggested China will overtake the US as the world’s largest economy, but its weak recovery from the impact of the coronavirus has raised doubts

In the wake of ChatGPT’s bursting onto the scene, China is looking to artificial intelligence to reinvigorate its economy that is haunted by a debt mountain, coronavirus-related aftershocks and demographic challenges. Illustration: Henry Wong