Prime Highlights
- China scored 85.3 points, ranking third behind the US and UK in Deep Knowledge Group’s Global AI Health Competitiveness Index.
- An AI ultrasound system in Henan province outperformed conventional diagnostic methods by over 20% in thyroid nodule detection.
Key Facts
- Deep Knowledge Group is a deep-tech research and investment consortium that tracks AI competitiveness through clinically validated, commercially scalable solutions.
- China aims to expand AI-assisted diagnosis and treatment in primary care nationwide by 2030.
Background
Deep Knowledge Group ranked China as the third most competitive country in its Global AI Competitiveness Index in the field of biotechnology, healthcare, and longevity. The top spot went to the United States, scoring 93.1, while the
UK scored 87.6 and China received 85.3 points. Among 20 world-leading cities, Hong Kong occupied third place after Boston and San Francisco.
Competitiveness was evaluated according to clinically proven solutions based on biomedical applications that were scalable to a commercial level, rather than scientific achievements.
In reality, the implementation of AI is already affecting clinical practice. In Puyang prefecture of Henan province, a device used for AI-enabled ultrasound helped detect thyroid nodules with 96.33% accuracy, exceeding the performance of the existing approaches by over 20%. The same programme nearly doubled daily patient consultations at primary-level hospitals, pushing capacity from around 20–25 patients to roughly 40 per day.
AI is also accelerating research. Beijing Cancer Hospital deployed an AI system that matched lung cancer patients to clinical trials overnight and delivered ranked results by the next morning.
China’s National Health Commission, alongside four other agencies, has set a target to expand AI-assisted diagnosis and treatment in primary care nationwide by 2030. Hong Kong supports generative AI technology through its multiple applications in medical clinical processes and its usage in digital pathology
The system deployment happens too quickly, which creates potential legal problems. Experts point out that the new physician-plus-AI system creates problems with determining who holds responsibility. Scholars propose categorising medical AI, from tool-type to autonomous, to assign accountability. The index itself treats governance and regulation as key competitiveness factors.
