DeepSeek Photo: VCG

The People's Bank of China (PBC), the central bank, held a meeting to reinforce its technological work in 2025, vowing to promote the applications of artificial intelligence (AI) large language models and related technologies in the financial sector to accelerate the process of financial digitalization. 

The meeting emphasized plans to vigorously strengthen the construction of the science and technology talent team, and propel the high-quality development of technological work to a new level, the PBC said in a statement on its website on Monday. 

The central bank pledged to strengthen the integration of business and technology, deepen data governance, promote the application of new technologies, and enhance information technology support for the central bank's mission. It also vowed to advance the construction of an independent, controllable, secure, and efficient financial infrastructure system, and safeguard cybersecurity and data security.

The financial sector generates massive data volumes, and technological tools can process data efficiently to enhance the operational efficiency and security of financial activities, Xi Junyang, a professor at the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, told the Global Times on Monday.

"For instance, the application of various technological tools in areas such as risk control can optimize processes for risk identification, measurement and management," Xi Junyang said, adding that the integration of finance and technology is becoming increasingly intertwined, with their interdependence expected to deepen further.

With the rise of domestic AI technologies and various AI tools, the meeting stated plans to accelerate the digital and intelligent transformation of the financial sector, and advance the application of AI large language models and related technologies in the finance sector in a safe, prudent and orderly manner. 

The integration of AI into the financial sector is an inevitable trend, as AI technologies represent the epitome of technological application and their core strength lies in replacing some manual work, reducing financial activity costs and improving efficiency, said Xi Junyang. 

Multiple Chinese banks have also announced plans to utilize AI models in various business scenarios. Industrial and Commercial Bank of China announced on March 8 that it had completed the localized deployment of the latest open-source DeepSeek AI model to enhance intelligence across financial business scenarios.

In February, the Postal Savings Bank of China announced that, leveraging its own large language model, the bank has deployed and integrated the DeepSeek-V3 model and the lightweight DeepSeek-R1 inference model, according to Xinhua.

Among joint-stock banks, the Shanghai Pudong Development Bank has deployed the DeepSeek-R1 671B large language model, which is embedded in digital assistant applications, enhancing scenarios like intelligent questions and answers, financial analyses and report writing, China National Radio reported on March 12.

The 2025 Government Work Report stated that China will support the extensive application of large-scale AI models and to vigorously develop new-generation intelligent terminals and smart manufacturing equipment, including intelligent connected new-energy vehicles, AI-enabled phones and computers, and intelligent robots.


Global Times