On July 20, 2026, the State Council Information Office of China held a press conference on the development of industry and information technology in the first half of 2026. Wang Weiming, Chief Engineer of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, disclosed a series of significant data: global cumulative downloads of open-source AI large models exceeded 10 billion; the quantum computing prototype "Jiuzhang 4.0" set a new world record in photonic quantum information technology; and the world's first invasive brain-computer interface medical device received market approval.
The simultaneous unveiling of these three landmark achievements marks China's comprehensive transition from "technology catch-up" to "innovation leadership" in the information and communication industry.
"Jiuzhang 4.0": Computing Power 1,054 Times Faster Than the World's Fastest Supercomputer
The programmable quantum computing prototype "Jiuzhang 4.0," successfully developed by scholars including Pan Jianwei, Lu Chaoyang, Zhang Qiang, and Liu Naile from the University of Science and Technology of China, in collaboration with multiple domestic research institutions, has once again set a world record in photonic quantum computing.
Core Parameters
"Jiuzhang 4.0" achieves 1,024 squeezed-state inputs and 8,176-mode programmable quantum computing, manipulating and detecting quantum states of up to 3,050 photons for the first time. When solving Gaussian boson sampling tasks, it generates a sample in just 25 microseconds, while the world's current fastest supercomputer, El Capitan, would require over 1,042 years to complete the same task. Comparatively, the computing speed of "Jiuzhang 4.0" is 1,054 times that of the supercomputer, with a quantum advantage ratio reaching the order of 10^54.
Technological Breakthrough
The research team developed a high-efficiency optical parametric oscillator light source and a spatiotemporal hybrid encoding interferometer, integrating 1,024 squeezed-state light fields into an 8,176-mode circuit, achieving a light source efficiency of 92% and a total system efficiency of 51%. The system can sample within a vast Hilbert space of 10^2461 dimensions. Since the "Jiuzhang" series first achieved quantum computational advantage in optical systems in 2020, it has undergone multiple iterations and upgrades.
Application Prospects
The achievement of "Jiuzhang 4.0" represents a significant leap in the scale and complexity of low-loss photonic quantum processors. Quantum computing holds revolutionary potential in fields such as drug molecular simulation, new material design, complex system optimization, and cryptography. China has become the only country globally to achieve "quantum computational advantage" on both technological pathways of photonic quantum computing and superconducting quantum computing. The success of "Jiuzhang 4.0" further consolidates China's world-leading position in photonic quantum computing and lays a solid foundation for the subsequent development of more advanced and practical quantum computers.
Brain-Computer Interface: World's First Invasive Medical Device Approved for Market
The implantable brain-computer interface hand motor function compensation system (NEO System), independently developed by BORUIKANG Medical, founded by Tsinghua post-80s PhD Xu Honglai, received market approval from the National Medical Products Administration on March 13, 2026, becoming the world's first approved invasive brain-computer interface medical device.
Core Technology
The NEO System employs an epidural minimally invasive implantation technique, placing the electrode array between the skull and the dura mater without puncturing the dura or contacting brain tissue, significantly reducing surgical trauma and infection risk. The system features a fully wireless design, with the internal implant about the size of two coins, no built-in battery, and powered wirelessly by external devices. An AI system based on deep learning algorithms can accurately recognize the patient's motor intention within milliseconds and convert it into control commands.
Clinical Application
On July 16, 2026, the NEO System completed the world's first human implantation surgery in Shanghai. The patient suffered a spinal cord injury from a car accident 10 years ago, and intraoperative tests showed stable and high-quality collected brain signals. The NEO System was included in the Shanghai Hu Huibao commercial medical insurance in July 2026. China's progress in this field has surpassed that of Elon Musk's Neuralink—since Neuralink began human trials in 2024, it has implanted devices in 21 individuals but remains in the clinical trial stage, without regulatory approval for market sale as a medical device in any country.
AI Open-Source Large Models: Global Downloads Exceed 10 Billion
In the first half of 2026, global cumulative downloads of open-source AI large models exceeded 10 billion. The application penetration rate of AI technology among manufacturing enterprises above designated size surpassed 30%.
Industry Foundation
China's intelligent computing power reached 2,185 EFLOPS, a year-on-year increase of 177%. The number of 5G base stations reached 5.102 million. The production of industrial robots and service robots increased by 28% and 11.9% year-on-year, respectively. Embodied intelligent products are rapidly iterating, with over 230 companies releasing more than 400 complete machine products, and annual complete machine products are expected to exceed 100,000 units. A total of over 56,000 basic-level, more than 9,000 advanced-level, and over 500 excellence-level smart factories have been established, with 15 leading-level smart factories cultivated.
Application Prospects
The widespread application of AI large models is profoundly transforming manufacturing, services, and social governance. The variety of 5G-based intelligent terminals continues to enrich, with products such as AI-powered phones and computers, intelligent robots, AI glasses, and AI toys becoming new hotspots in information consumption. The bio-manufacturing industry continues to grow, with a total output value of approximately 1.1 trillion yuan, and fermentation product output accounting for over 70% of the global total.
China's ICT Industry "Half-Year Report": From "Running Alongside" to "Leading"
In the first half of 2026, China's information and communication industry delivered an impressive "half-year report"—the added value of industries above designated size grew by 5.4% year-on-year, with industry contributing over 35% to economic growth; corporate profits improved significantly, with total profits in the first five months increasing by 18.8% year-on-year; the digital industry's revenue in the first five months reached 16.7 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 13%; and investment in emerging fields such as computer and office equipment manufacturing, and aerospace and equipment manufacturing achieved double-digit growth.
From the "computing revolution" of quantum computing, the "perception revolution" of brain-computer interfaces, to the "intelligence revolution" of AI large models, China, with its systematic innovation capabilities, is occupying a leading position in core tracks of the global information and communication industry competition.