Construction of a national AI application testing base for smart homes and household appliances began on Oct 27 in Qingdao, Shandong province, aiming to accelerate the development and commercial adoption of AI-powered home technologies.

Developed by Haier Smart Home, the base will bring together appliance manufacturers, technology companies, universities, and research institutions to bridge the gap between laboratory innovation and mass production.

The initiative seeks to address industry challenges such as limited compatibility between devices from different brands, complex testing requirements, and high development costs.

The base will provide support in five key areas: product testing, real-world application testing, industrial applications, large-scale deployment, and technical standards and safety.

It will also establish two service platforms to connect industry needs with research expertise, enabling companies to develop, test, and bring AI solutions to market together.

For consumers, the initiative aims to make smart appliances more intuitive and improve device connectivity. For manufacturers, it will support AI adoption across research, production, supply chains, marketing, and services.

At the launch ceremony, the base signed cooperation agreements with partners, including Huawei and China Mobile, to promote industry-wide collaboration.