Archive — CN — technode
China reports surge in token consumption as AI applications expand
China's daily token consumption has increased over 300-fold in 18 months, driven by the rapid expansion of AI applications. From 100 billion tokens in early 2024, it surged to over 30 trillion by June 2025. The country has developed 35,000 datasets totaling 400 petabytes, leading to nearly 4 billion yuan in data trading. Remarkably, the Beijing Data Exchange comprises 80% of these trades, emphasizing the critical role of Chinese-language data in AI training.
Key points
- Token consumption rose from 100 billion to 30 trillion between early 2024 and June 2025.
- Over 35,000 datasets created, totaling 400 petabytes.
- Cumulative data trading transactions reached nearly 4 billion yuan ($552 million).
- Beijing Data Exchange's share of transactions increased from 10% to 80%.
- Most domestic AI models utilize datasets that are over 60% Chinese.
Why it matters
- The surge in token consumption reflects a global trend of increasing data and AI application demands.
- Similar trends are seen in other countries as AI capabilities expand, highlighting the competitive landscape.
- By 2025, key IT trends include data-centric AI, federated learning, and enhanced dataset availability, aligning with China's advancements.
China's significant increase in token consumption showcases its rapid AI development, drawing parallels with global trends and emphasizing the growing importance of data in shaping technological advancements.