AI’s “interesting soul” is heading to the body.
Smart terminals, as the “soul possession” of artificial intelligence, have already been cheated in Shanghai.
Fuzozo, an AI toy, relies on SenseTime’s new large model, which can achieve long-term memory, emotional perception, and anthropomorphic feedback. It is like a 24-hour online “emotional partner”. It has sold more than 120,000 since its launch last year, ranking first in the Volcano Engine AI hardware list.
In the field of humanoid robots, Shanghai companies are also leading the way.
Zhiyuan Robot shipped more than 5,100 units last year, surpassing Yushu and Tesla to rank first in the world.
Another phenomenon can also support the “crazy killing” trend of smart terminals in Shanghai.
In the past three months, Shanghai-based large-scale model and GPU companies such as Minimax, Muxi, Biren, and Tianshu Zhixin have been intensively listed on the market. Large-scale models are responsible for intelligence, pushing AI to “grow” brains, eyes, hands and feet from screens and dialog boxes, and then implement them into entities.
The rise of domestic intelligent computing chips has supported the surge in demand for intelligent terminal applications.
Riding on the momentum, Shanghai continues to build platforms. The China Home Appliances and Consumer Electronics Expo (AWE 2026) and the Global Developers Pioneer Conference (GDPS 2026) to be held in March this year, as well as the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC 2026) in July, will become the stage for a concentrated explosion of smart terminals.
AI and IC are both high ground.
There is no unprovoked outbreak. AI and IC (Integrated Circuit), Shanghai is both a high ground.
Shanghai has about one-third of the country’s AI talents. Last year, the scale of the AI industry exceeded 550 billion yuan, with a growth rate of 30%.
Shanghai gathers more than 1,200 integrated circuit companies, with 40% of the country’s IC talents and 50% of the industrial innovation resources. Last year, the scale of the integrated circuit industry was nearly 490 billion yuan, an increase of 25%.
Such two highlands breed top algorithms.
For example, SenseTime’s multi-modal large model and its embodied intelligence platform can empower embodied intelligent perception, visual navigation, audio and video fusion interaction and other capabilities.
Taking interaction as an example, a robot equipped with a large model “brain” can automatically generate professional explanations and humorously explain “Chang’an’s Lychees”.
Not only did the lines have gimmicks, but the robot’s IQ was online. It could not only be interrupted in a noisy environment, but also recognize the audience’s intentions and answer random questions. At the same time, it could remember all the questions and had a global memory. No matter how many times it was interrupted, it would never forget to return to the main line.
Robot explanation is no longer a dull content playback, but a truly immersive interaction.
It is reported that SenseTime’s daily new large model has been blessed with end products such as Xiaomi Glasses, XREAL, Guixu Electronics, and Lingshi Universe.
For example, the AI learning machine “Lingshi Xiaoquan Ji” topped the category during the “618” promotion last year, and the “Double 11” sales surged by more than 230% compared to the “618”.
The SenseTime RiRixin is just one of the 138 large models that have been registered in Shanghai.
In addition to the large number of models, Shanghai has no obvious shortcomings in computing power, corpus, and chips.
As a result, Shanghai has formed a complete closed loop in which “good models do not lack computing power, good applications do not lack corpus, and good products do not lack chips.”
Software and hardware naturally attract each other.
AI needs a body.
As a high-end manufacturing city, Shanghai has a two-way market for software and hardware.
Zhiyuan Robot was only established in 2023. An important reason why it can quickly achieve the world’s largest humanoid robot shipments is the highly mature supply chain in Shanghai and surrounding areas.
Therefore, when AR glasses XREAL was about to be commercialized, it decisively located its headquarters in Shanghai.
On December 18 last year, XREAL 1S was officially released, and sales in the fourth quarter increased by more than 50% year-on-year.
This means that despite facing global orders that far exceeded expectations, it was Shanghai’s optimal supply chain efficiency solution that allowed XREAL to achieve high-quality and smooth delivery.
XREAL is not the only hero who sees the same thing.
Only in Pudong New Area, where XREAL is located, has established a “4+X” development pattern and is fully promoting the construction of multiple projects.
The explosive seeds have been reserved.
The seeds for subsequent explosions have been planted and are ready to go.
For example, Yinghe Zhilin’s AI PC can protect personal data privacy.
Another example is the Nubia M153, the first AI-native mobile phone jointly developed by ZTE’s Nubia and ByteDance’s Doubao. A preview version of Doubao’s mobile assistant technology has been launched and has been snapped up by professional users. Future production is expected.
It is also reported that according to the “Shanghai Intelligent Terminal Industry High-Quality Development Action Plan (2026-2027)” released in October last year, Shanghai strives to have the overall scale of the intelligent terminal industry exceed 300 billion yuan by 2027, create more than three consumer-grade terminal brands with global influence, and achieve three “10 million” units, that is, the scale of artificial intelligence computers, artificial intelligence mobile phones, and artificial intelligence new terminals will each reach more than 10 million units.
The new generation of electronic information industry driven by smart terminals, as one of the six emerging pillar industries established in Shanghai, will truly contribute new economic growth to Shanghai.
