Digital tools empowering culture trend of the times

Editor's note: Promoting high-quality development of the cultural industry is essential for meeting people's growing spiritual and cultural consumption needs, and enhancing their sense of happiness and spirituality. China Daily spoke to Hui Ming, deputy director of the Center for Cultural Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, about China's future plans for the cultural industry during the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period. Below are excerpts from the interview. The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period, cultural programs and industries have flourished in China, and people have enjoyed a wide range of cultural and intellectual products.

The 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period will be a crucial time for China to achieve the goal of building a strong nation, during which the cultural industry will play a more prominent role.

Over the past five years, driven by big data, algorithms, blockchain, augmented reality, virtual reality, extended reality and mixed reality, the technological content of cultural production and consumption in China continued to rise.

New cultural business forms represented by digital publishing, animation, digital content services, online gaming services and the production of wearable smart devices have appeared and become the most dynamic growth engines of the cultural industry.

During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, empowered by new-generation data technologies, artificial intelligence and sixth-generation mobile communication, China's digital cultural transformation will accelerate further.

Fields such as AI-generated content, digital games, interactive entertainment, film and animation, immersive imaging, digital education, digital publishing, digital archives, digital performance, online services and content software will form large industrial clusters and help China advance toward a digital society at a faster pace.

The cultural industry will play a more prominent role in empowering economic and social development. Its added value has already accounted for more than 4.5 percent of China's GDP, giving it a significant presence in the national economy.

Driven by the digital cultural industry, the added value of China's cultural industry is expected to surpass 5 percent of GDP during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, making it a pillar of the national economy.

Its role in empowering economic and social development will therefore become more pronounced. As a productive service industry, it can enhance the cultural added value of intelligent manufacturing in China through creative design and further strengthen the brand influence of Chinese industries and businesses. Meanwhile, through the "culture plus" model, the cultural industry will integrate more deeply with various areas of economic and social development, driving progress across society.

The integration of the cultural industry with tourism, people-centered urban development, the Beautiful China Initiative, rural vitalization and public cultural services will become more pronounced and far-reaching.

Digital tools will play a greater role in stimulating the emergence of new forms of literature and art. They will help provide the means for more people to create cultural content.

This cocreation and shared dissemination model embodies cultural democracy in the digital age, and it significantly enhances the cultural creativity of the Chinese nation.

With breakthroughs in the new round of global technological revolution and AI innovation, the cultural industry will be even more effective in empowering new forms of literature and art. The overall quality of such works will continue to rise, more outstanding cultural products will emerge, and cultural creativity will reach new heights, both nationally and globally.

During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, driven by deep integration of culture and technology and the unprecedented unleashing of nationwide creativity, the creative transformation and innovative development of traditional Chinese culture will usher in new prosperity.