Empowering rural revitalization in China with GAI: the application value, challenges, and optimization paths

In the context of China’s path to modernization, rural revitalization is facing a new landscape of “technology empowerment.” Generative artificial intelligence (GAI), with its powerful text generation capabilities, continuous human-machine interaction mode, and versatility across multiple scenarios, can not only drive the comprehensive digital transformation of cities but also make significant contributions to rural revitalization. Although the application of GAI in rural revitalization has not yet become widespread, it is foreseeable that it will play a crucial role in rural revitalization across five dimensions: organizational revitalization, industrial revitalization, cultural revitalization, ecological revitalization, and talent revitalization. However, it should also be anticipated that the smooth operation of technology is influenced by external environments. Currently, the large digital divide between urban and rural areas, the insufficient integration of GAI with rural governance, and potential risks constitute practical obstacles that hinder GAI’s empowerment of rural revitalization. Therefore, it is necessary to make preparations for its role in empowering rural revitalization by advancing the construction of software and hardware infrastructure, transforming the governance approach of grassroots governments, creating a favorable application atmosphere, and strengthening institutional guarantees.