Chinese academician proposes “human-centric AI” as new terminal paradigm at Beijing conference
At the inaugural 2026 AI Terminal Innovation and Development Conference in Beijing on September 22, Chinese Academy of Engineering academician Zhao Qinping introduced the concept of “human-centric intelligence” (具人智能), contrasting it with embodied AI. He predicted AI terminals will diversify beyond smartphones into glasses, rings, and wearables. Rokid co-founder Xiang Wenjie forecast AI glasses could reach an “iPhone moment” in 3-5 years, with lightweight design key to mass adoption. Lenovo’s Tao Hongzhi discussed new Chinese national standards for grading AI terminal intelligence (L1-L5), noting L4 and L5 remain undefined.
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Zhao Qinping: AI terminals will diversify beyond phones; AI glasses face 'iPhone moment' in 3-5 years
At the 2026 AI Terminal Innovation and Development Conference in Beijing, Chinese Academy of Engineering academician Zhao Qinping introduced the concept of 'embodied AI' (具人智能), which centers on human-centric, multi-form AI terminals that evolve through lifelong learning. He argued that AI terminals will no longer be dominated by smartphones but will diversify into glasses, rings, bracelets, watches, and other wearables that extend human senses. Rokid co-founder Xiang Wenjie predicted that AI glasses will reach their 'iPhone moment' in 3-5 years when they can perform all smartphone functions, with weight reduction being the key to mass adoption. Lenovo's chief standards officer Tao Hongzhi discussed China's new national standards for grading AI terminal intelligence (L1-L5), noting that L4 and L5 levels remain undefined to allow for future technological development, and that labeling may help consumers identify genuine AI products.
Read sourceAI terminals beyond phones: AI glasses face 'iPhone moment' in 3-5 years, experts say
At the 2026 AI Terminal Innovation and Development Conference in Beijing, Chinese Academy of Engineering academician Zhao Qinping introduced the concept of 'embodied intelligence' (具人智能), predicting AI terminals will evolve along four tracks: diversified forms, natural interaction, ecosystem connectivity, and technology inclusivity. He stated that AI terminals will no longer be dominated by smartphones, with AI glasses, rings, and wristbands emerging. Rokid co-founder Xiang Wenjie said AI glasses' mass adoption depends on weight reduction and ease of use, forecasting an 'iPhone moment' within 3-5 years when glasses can perform all smartphone tasks. Lenovo's Tao Hongzhi discussed China's new national standards for AI terminal intelligence grading, noting L4 and L5 levels remain undefined to allow future development, and suggested future labeling could help consumers identify genuine AI products.
Read sourceMeta's AI Agent Muse Goes Viral, Experts Say AI Terminals Will Evolve from Tools to Partners
At the inaugural Immersive Consumption Carnival and 2026 AI Terminal Innovation and Development Conference held in Beijing on September 22, industry experts and executives discussed the shift in AI from model-centric development to application-centric deployment. The discussion was catalyzed by Meta's AI agent Muse, which topped the U.S. App Store free app chart within two weeks of launch, surpassing ChatGPT and Claude. Chinese Academy of Engineering academician Zhao Qinping introduced the concept of 'human-centered intelligence' (juren zhinen), arguing future terminals will be collaborative partners guided by human intent, embedded in devices like glasses, bracelets, rings, and phones. Rokid co-founder Xiang Wenjie predicted AI glasses could become the mainstream terminal in 10-20 years, with mass adoption dependent on lightweight design rather than advanced features. He estimated the 'iPhone moment' for AI glasses could arrive in 3-5 years. AMD's Greater China marketing VP Ji Zhaohui noted the industry is shifting from training to inference, and introduced the concept of 'Agent Computer'—a device designed for AI agents to operate autonomously without traditional input peripherals. The consensus among speakers was that AI agents will empower individuals as 'super individuals' and drive the next wave of AI普及.
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Chinese Academician Proposes 'Ren-Centric AI' as New Paradigm for AI Terminals
At the 2026 AI Terminal Innovation and Development Conference in Beijing, Chinese academician Zhao Qinping introduced the concept of 'Ren-centric AI' (具人智能), contrasting it with 'embodied AI'. He argued that while embodied AI focuses on making machines smarter in physical tasks, ren-centric AI centers on intelligent terminals that adapt to humans, making people more capable. The concept is characterized by human-centric design, diverse form factors (AI glasses, rings, bracelets, pendants, watches, phones), and continuous personalized adaptation. Rokid co-founder Xiang Wenjie stated that AI glasses will reach an 'iPhone moment' within 3-5 years when they can handle all smartphone tasks, emphasizing lightweight design as key to mass adoption. Zhao predicted ren-centric AI will evolve along four paths: diversified terminal forms, natural interaction, cross-device ecosystem synergy, and technology democratization to serve all populations including the elderly and disabled.
China AI conference introduces 'human-centric intelligence' concept for terminal ecosystem evolution
At the 2026 AI Terminal Innovation and Development Conference in Beijing, Chinese academician Zhao Qinping introduced the concept of 'human-centric intelligence' (juren zhinen), contrasting it with 'embodied intelligence' (jushen zhinen). Zhao argued that while embodied intelligence focuses on machines acting autonomously in the physical world, human-centric intelligence centers on AI terminals that adapt to and augment human users. He outlined four evolution paths: diversified form factors (AI glasses, rings, bracelets, phones), natural interaction, cross-device ecosystem synergy, and technology equalization. Rokid co-founder Xiang Wenjie stated that AI glasses' mass adoption depends on comfort, not just specs, and predicted the 'iPhone moment' for AI glasses within 3-5 years. The event was part of the first Immersive Consumption Carnival and China Manufacturing Week.
Read sourceAI Agent Muse Goes Viral; Experts Say AI Terminals Will Evolve from Tools to Partners
At the inaugural Immersive Consumption Carnival and 2026 AI Terminal Innovation and Development Conference in Beijing on September 22, industry experts and executives discussed the transition of AI from a training-centric phase to an application-centric phase. Chinese Academy of Engineering academician Zhao Qinping introduced the concept of 'human-centered intelligence' (juren zhinen), emphasizing AI as a collaborative partner guided by human intent, contrasting with traditional 'embodied intelligence' that focuses on machines. Rokid co-founder Xiang Wenjie noted that Meta's AI agent Muse topped the US App Store and Google Play free app charts within two weeks of launch, performing tasks like shopping and emailing. He predicted that AI glasses could become the mainstream terminal in 10-20 years, with a potential 'iPhone moment' in 3-5 years when users stop frequently using smartphones. AMD's Ji Zhaohui highlighted the shift from training to inference and introduced the 'Agent Computer' concept, where AI operates autonomously without traditional input devices.
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