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Small mainland China businesses adopt agentic AI faster, leaders say
Panelists at the Nusa Dua Forum in Bali said factors like market agility and reliable power, not just AI capability, will shape who wins the AI race.
Industry leaders speaking at a forum in Indonesia said smaller, family-run businesses in mainland China are adopting advanced artificial intelligence more readily than large enterprises, with differences in agility and decision-making playing a key role. According to the South China Morning Post, panel discussions at the inaugural Nusa Dua Forum in Bali focused on how AI is reshaping factories and the broader digital transformation of manufacturing. Zhou Yuxiang, founder and CEO of Shanghai-based industrial software firm Black Lake Technologies, said his company shifted its focus from serving large firms to small and medium-sized enterprises and independent, family-owned businesses after seeing demand move in that direction. Black Lake Technologies, founded in 2016, provides cloud-based tools to help factories digitise manufacturing operations, and it also offers ways for small businesses to measure results and returns from using an AI agent rather than relying on a human worker. The outlet reports that Zhou characterized mom-and-pop businesses as more open to agentic technology, while larger companies have been slower to act. Zhou added that, when engaging large enterprises on AI, chief risk officers tend to get involved, influencing how quickly firms move forward. The forum discussion also highlighted that steady power supplies and the ability to adapt to changing markets may be decisive in determining winners in the global AI race, the SCMP reported.