AI and blockchain deemed as an industrial marriage made in heaven

China should strategically integrate blockchain technology with artificial intelligence to build a next-generation social collaboration framework than can sustain productivity growth, a national legislator said during the third session of the 14th National People's Congress in Beijing.

Dong Jin, an NPC deputy and director of the National Center of Technology Innovation for Blockchain in Beijing, made the remarks in a delegation panel discussion on Thursday, highlighting breakthroughs in smart manufacturing and logistics driven by AI.

He cited examples such as a car factory deploying more than 1,000 robots to produce vehicles at triple traditional speeds, and logistics firms using autonomous vehicles to improve cargo efficiency by 70 percent.

"These leaps in productivity have demanded revolutionary changes in how society collaborates," Dong said. "Blockchain's ability to establish transparent, automated and tamper-proof systems offers the perfect complement to AI's raw processing power."

Blockchain, often described as a digital trust machine, operates as a shared, decentralized ledger that records transactions by numerous parties. Unlike traditional databases controlled by single entities, blockchain entries are cryptographically sealed into sequential blocks, making alterations virtually impossible.

Dong described AI and blockchain as "interlocking gears" in a modern industrial engine. While AI accelerates production through intelligent automation, blockchain streamlines human and institutional interactions.

For instance, he said, blockchain's privacy-preserving data-sharing protocols can safely feed high-value industry data to AI models, while its traceability mechanisms help detect and prevent "data poisoning" attacks that corrupt AI systems.

With China moving rapidly on domestic AI projects, Dong urged policymakers to "think holistically" about aligning blockchain infrastructure with the development of AI.

"We must design systems that do not just boost efficiency but also ensure fairness," he said, referring to blockchain's role in resolving disputes and protecting data rights.