Opening Remarks | From Technological Carnival to the Deep Waters of Value | 2026 AI Partner · Beijing Yizhuang AI+ Industry Conference

TL;DR

• The 2026 AI Partner Conference in Beijing Yizhuang adopts the theme "Bringing AI to the Frontline," shifting focus from abstract AI hype to practical industrial deployment and value realization.
• The event features a two-day agenda with 60 to 70 practical speakers and a matchmaking component, where over 50 enterprises have already registered to connect supply (technology providers) with demand (scenario-based enterprises).
• 36Kr CEO Feng Dagang argues that AI is transitioning from a specific "track" to a foundational infrastructure, emphasizing that industrial integration creates more value than pure model development.
• The conference distinguishes between pure AI companies and ecosystem players (like Alibaba), asserting that established industries possess superior data and supply chain advantages that pure AI firms lack.
• A key talent insight identifies "scenario experts who use AI" as the most valuable and scarce role in the current market, surpassing pure AI specialists in practical utility.

Why It Matters

This article highlights a critical pivot in the AI industry from speculative technological capability to tangible industrial application, signaling that the next phase of value creation lies in solving specific supply chain and manufacturing problems. For practitioners, it underscores the urgent need for bridge talent who understand both AI capabilities and industry-specific workflows, moving the discourse away from anxiety over job displacement toward leveraging AI to expand human productivity.

Key Data

• Conference Scale: The event includes a two-day agenda with 60 to 70 practitioners (speakers) focused on case studies rather than trends.
• Matchmaking Participation: Over 50 enterprises have registered for the "World Cafe" AI industry matching session, comprising both scenario demanders and technology providers.
• Talent Insight: Scenario experts proficient in AI are identified as the most scarce and valuable talent profile, contrasting with pure AI experts.
• Conference History: The AI Partner conference has been running for four years, evolving from trend observation to practical facilitation.

Technical Details

• Strategic Positioning of Ecosystems: The analysis critiques the evaluation of Alibaba in the AI era, arguing that pure model competition is a flawed framework. Instead, the value lies in Alibaba's 20-year accumulation of consumer data (Taobao/Tmall) and its integrated ecosystem (Alibaba Cloud, Alipay, Cainiao, DingTalk), which pure AI companies cannot replicate within a decade.
• AI as Infrastructure: The speaker defines AI not as a vertical industry track but as a horizontal infrastructure comparable to the internet, implying that its value is derived from being embedded into existing industrial workflows (finance, healthcare, manufacturing, energy) rather than existing as a standalone product.
• Practical Evaluation Metrics: The conference rejects abstract narratives in favor of concrete outcomes: which industry/scenario was targeted, what specific AI intervention was used, the timeline for implementation, and whether the goal was achieved.
• Supply-Chain Integration: The venue, Beijing Yizhuang, is chosen for its complete industrial chain spanning R&D, manufacturing, and shipping, housing companies like JD, BOE, Xiaomi Auto, and United Robotex, facilitating direct feedback loops between AI developers and physical manufacturers.

Industry Insight

• Shift to "Frontline" Execution: AI professionals should prioritize learning specific domain constraints and implementation timelines over pursuing general model improvements, as the market is saturated with technology but starved for successful deployments.
• Talent Gap Opportunity: There is a significant opportunity for upskilling in "Applied AI" roles; professionals who can translate industrial problems into AI solutions are more valuable than those who only understand model architecture.
• Ecosystem Moats: For enterprises, the defensive moat in the AI era is not just data but the depth of industrial integration; companies with established supply chains and data histories are better positioned to leverage AI than "pure" AI startups.

FAQ

Q: Why does the article argue that the "AI track" terminology is outdated?
A: The speaker argues that when a technology's impact exceeds that of the internet, it becomes infrastructure. Therefore, AI should be viewed as a foundational tool integrated into all industries (like finance and manufacturing) rather than a standalone sector.

Q: What is the specific role of the "World Cafe" session in this conference?
A: It serves as a structured matchmaking platform to connect enterprises with specific industrial scenario needs with companies providing AI technical solutions, bridging the gap between supply and demand that previously lacked a direct venue for collaboration.

Q: Which type of talent is identified as having the highest market value?
A: Scenario experts who know how to use AI are considered more valuable and scarce than pure AI experts, as the market currently lacks professionals who can bridge the gap between technical capability and specific industry application.