China bets on AI powered labs to reshape drug discovery
China is going all in on AI-powered labs, hoping to outpace the US in the global tech race.
These smart labs, like XtalPi's in Shenzhen, are shaking up drug discovery by letting AI handle most of the heavy lifting, with barely any human help.
China's prime minister Li Qiang has made it clear: pushing ahead with this tech is a top priority.
China launches AI-for-science initiative
Back in March 2026, China kicked off its "AI-for-science" initiative as part of a five-year plan to boost innovation.
Its dual strategy includes platforms like ScienceOne, which lets different institutions team up on complex projects using massive national datasets.
While it's still catching up to the US in some areas, China's focus on real-world results is paying off, especially in pharma, where last year about half of all drugs licensed globally, by value, were from China.