Under the unprecedented great changes, we have accelerated our pace of finding answers and moving towards new territories. In this process, there are endless technological "candidates" coming to solve problems, among which artificial intelligence (AI) is the most popular. But when facing this player who is highly favored by the global technology industry, we still need to calmly consider: what kind of AI does China need? Because the path of AI development is crucial to our pace. The essence of socialism is to liberate and develop productive forces, and lead all people to achieve common prosperity. In China, the current goal is to meet the growing aspirations of the people for a better life. Therefore, under the socialist perspective, the means of production will not slide towards detachment or even escape from social production by avoiding reality and substance; It will not become a monopoly that only serves the interests of certain groups and ignores the common destiny of humanity. After clarifying the fundamental logic, when facing the surging wave of AI, we demonstrate clearer identification and more confident grip. We can see that on the one hand, the country attaches great importance to the development of intelligent economy; On the other hand, it is promoting the deep integration of AI and the real economy, injecting strong momentum into high-quality development. Sun Ninghui, an academician of the CAE Member and a researcher of the Institute of Computing Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, once directly pointed out that the key to the success of AI technology lies in whether the cost of an industry or a product can be significantly reduced, thus expanding the number of users and industrial scale by 10 times, producing a transformation effect similar to that of steam turbines for the textile industry and smartphones for the Internet industry. The answer to China's path towards AI is actually very clear - as a major country in the real economy with the most complete manufacturing industry categories, the most complete system, and multiple scenarios and data, we will not deny the enormous value of the virtual economy, but we will not relax or shake the priority position of the real economy. We need to use AI as an efficient production tool to create and cultivate more new quality productive forces that adapt to historical trends and socialist development needs, and find a "AI+" high-quality development path that suits ourselves. This is a technological innovation based on manufacturing. We will focus on a group of strategic industries that have a significant leading role in the development of the digital economy, such as new energy, electric vehicles, intelligent manufacturing, new materials, life sciences, medicine and health, to create the engine for the future development of the digital economy, and ultimately realize the revolutionary role of AI in the transformation of scientific research paradigms and the improvement of industrial innovation efficiency. We have grasped the strong voice of the AI era, but we can also see the hidden dangers and dangers in its explosive growth. Ultimately, we will leverage the efficiency and intelligence of AI to promote sustainable economic development, enhance social governance capabilities, and improve people's living standards. What kind of artificial intelligence do we really need? That is the AI technology that everyone can afford, which is safe and credible, belongs to every Chinese and can benefit millions of people all over the world. (New Society)