AI Terminals Enter a New Stage of Standardization

On May 8, the series of national standards titled “Intelligent Classification of AI Terminals” (GB/Z 177—2026) was officially released.

AI terminals are key carriers for the large-scale implementation and systematic development of AI technology. In recent years, China’s AI industry has flourished, with AI terminals continuously generating new products, business models, and experiences, effectively stimulating consumer enthusiasm and becoming a crucial lever for optimizing consumption structure.

From Passive Tools to Intelligent Assistants

Wei Ran, Chief Engineer of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, explained that AI terminals are the next generation of smart devices driven by large models. Compared to traditional terminals, AI terminals can actively perceive scenarios, accurately understand user intentions, and possess multimodal interaction capabilities, including text, voice, and audio-video.

Additionally, AI terminals can support generative applications and intelligent agent services based on personal large models and knowledge bases, enabling them to learn independently and evolve continuously.

“Overall, smart terminals are transforming from traditional passive execution tools into intelligent assistants that can perceive, understand, serve, and grow, redefining the human-computer interaction relationship. These capabilities are also the core functions emphasized in the highest-level terminal assessment of the new standards,” Wei said.

Regarding the new standards, Yu Xiuming, Deputy Director of the China Electronic Technology Standardization Institute, introduced that the series adopts a “2+N” architecture. The “2” refers to “Part 1: Reference Framework” and “Part 2: General Requirements,” which clarify the concept of intelligence, classification levels, and testing methods, addressing foundational questions such as “What is an AI terminal? How is it classified? How is it assessed?” This serves as the foundation for all category standards.

In the classification system, terminal intelligence progresses from L1 response level, L2 tool level, L3 assistant level, to L4 collaborative level, with increasing intelligence levels making terminals smarter. The “N” refers to specific standards for various products such as smartphones, computers, televisions, smart glasses, automotive cabins, speakers, and headphones.

Three Development Paths Progressing in Parallel

Yu Xiuming noted that through research and testing analysis, products with high user ownership are generally at L1 and L2 levels, with some new products reaching L3 level.

“Currently, AI terminal forms are flourishing, evolving along three parallel paths: upgrading traditional terminals, expanding new terminals, and exploring future terminals,” Wei stated.

On one hand, traditional general-purpose terminals are first upgraded to AI terminals, with shipments of AI smartphones, PCs, and tablets surpassing ten million units, becoming the current market’s main force. On the other hand, emerging categories like AI in-vehicle terminals, smart glasses, and AI toys are rapidly growing.

Simultaneously, AI-native terminal forms, represented by embodied intelligence, are continuously being explored, further unlocking the potential for AI applications.

“Currently, AI and terminal technologies are undergoing systematic integration, and future breakthroughs need to focus on three major directions,” Wei emphasized: first, optimizing the edge-cloud collaboration architecture, where the cloud handles high-complexity tasks while the edge processes high-frequency real-time interactions for efficient intelligent computing; second, deepening the full-stack upgrade of hardware and software, enhancing core capabilities in computing, storage, and perception at the hardware level, while promoting AI capabilities from the application layer to the operating system layer, building a system-level AI foundation to better support innovative applications; third, upgrading the security and privacy protection system to solidify data security and privacy protection barriers at the edge, ensuring the entire AI terminal service process is trustworthy, secure, and controllable.

Yu Xiuming stated that the formulation of the “Intelligent Classification of AI Terminals” series of standards will provide enterprises with clear benchmarking paths and improvement directions, helping to promote high-end product supply, enhance resource utilization efficiency, and foster a competitive and healthy development pattern on the supply side.

At the same time, the standards will offer consumers clear technical references and evaluation criteria, allowing them to make more rational choices for intelligent products that meet their needs, further enhancing user experience and satisfaction.

It is reported that relevant departments will continue to advance the standardization work in wearable devices, home appliances, and trendy toys, gradually achieving full coverage of intelligent classification for various terminals, ensuring more products have standards to follow.