(Yicai) Dec. 25 -- Shanghai has unveiled a plan to become a global leader in medical artificial intelligence by integrating AI with healthcare innovation, advancing AI’s use in diagnostics, public health, drug research, and more, while fostering an environment conducive to industry growth.

The plan, which covers next year through 2027, specifies six major areas for using new technologies such as AI: clinical medicine, healthcare management, public health, health insurance supervision, drug and medical device development, and traditional Chinese medicine.

The technical foundations for medical AI development will be strengthened by advances in large language models, computing power, and core technologies while building platforms for sharing medical data and computing resources, according to the plan.

To cultivate the growth of related businesses, it proposes creating a world-class development environment by streamlining regulations, increasing financial support, and strengthening talent recruitment and training.

Shanghai has already achieved a leading position nationally in the use of AI in healthcare, city officials noted when launching the plan yesterday. They noted that as one of China’s most resource-rich medical hubs, Shanghai offers a fertile ground for the sector’s development.

The eastern Chinese city is home to 34 AI-focused pharmaceutical companies, with 51 preclinical research projects and 14 clinical trials ongoing, accounting for 60 percent and 47 percent of the national total, respectively.

Some medical institutions in Shanghai have already deployed AI systems in surgical planning, enabling the three-dimensional representation of organs and lesions. The city has also proposed building a platform to enhance the screening and development of innovative small-molecule drugs, aiming to improve the success rate of new drug creation.

Editor: Martin Kadiev