To stimulate new momentum in service consumption, the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce and 16 other departments recently jointly issued "Several Measures on Further Expanding Shanghai's Service Consumption," clearly proposing to take artificial intelligence, AR/VR, and green and low-carbon technologies as core engines, promoting deep integration of "digital +" and "technology +", and creating a series of perceptible, interactive, and sustainable smart consumption scenarios. It also innovatively introduced three supporting tools: "computing power coupons, model coupons, and corpus coupons" to precisely empower the implementation of consumer-oriented large models.
Focus on the integration of "technology + consumption", creating immersive experiences
The document emphasizes the key support for the following integrated scenarios:
- "Technology + tourism": Develop virtual tours, immersive performances, and digital twin scenic spots using AR/VR technology;
- "Technology + cultural relics and museums": Promote museums and art galleries to achieve the revitalization of cultural relics, personalized interpretation, and interactive exhibitions through AI-generated content (AIGC);
- "Artificial intelligence + retail": Develop intelligent shopping assistants, virtual fitting rooms, and personalized recommendations based on large models;
- Instant service consumption: Encourage e-commerce platforms to integrate local life services and realize "order immediately delivered" smart fulfillment.
All scenarios should take into account the concept of green and low carbon, such as reducing physical material consumption and optimizing energy use through digital technology.
First "three coupons" mechanism, precise support for consumer-oriented large models
To solve the resource bottlenecks in AI application, Shanghai will issue three types of special support vouchers for the first time:
- Computing power coupons: Subsidize companies for using local intelligent computing center resources, reducing the cost of AI training and inference;
- Model coupons: Support the purchase or fine-tuning of vertical large models, especially for consumer sectors such as culture and tourism, retail, and health;
- Corpus coupons: Fund the collection, annotation, and compliant processing of high-quality Chinese consumer corpora, laying the foundation for model training.
At the same time, Shanghai will carry out a selection of typical application cases of "artificial intelligence + consumption" and provide policy preferences and promotion for excellent projects, forming a demonstration effect.
Behind the policy: Seizing the global consumption technology high ground
As an international consumer city, Shanghai is redefining the relationship between "people, goods, and places" with AI. The coordinated release of this document by 16 departments highlights that AI is regarded as the core infrastructure for upgrading service consumption. Through the "three coupons" mechanism, the government not only provides financial support but also guides key factors such as computing power, models, and data to flow efficiently into consumption scenarios.
Industry experts point out that this move is expected to accelerate the emergence of a batch of AI-native consumer brands and smart service new forms, such as AI travel planners, digital cultural relic curators, and green consumption assistants, driving Shanghai from a "shopping paradise" to a "smart experience capital."
AIbase Observation: Consumer AI, Shanghai takes a key step forward
While other cities are still discussing how AI can "empower" consumption, Shanghai has begun to build a complete support ecosystem from the basic resources to the upper applications. The proposal of "computing power coupons, model coupons, and corpus coupons" marks that local governments have deeply understood the AI industry chain at the level of production factors.
Against the background of global consumption weakness, AI-driven "experiential, interactive, and personalized" services may become the next growth breakthrough. And Shanghai is trying to provide a replicable smart consumption model for China and even the world through this "AI + consumption" experiment.
