According to a report from the US tech investment firm a16z, the paid penetration rate of current AI applications remains limited, with only 4.5% of American consumers subscribing to mainstream AI services, and a small number of high-net-worth users contributing more than half of the spending.

A similar phenomenon exists in China, where the popularity of AI topics during the National Day holiday appears disconnected from the public's actual perception in daily life.

A mismatch has formed between the massive investment in computing infrastructure and the limited consumer willingness to pay. Industry insiders believe that technological enthusiasm is not yet able to automatically translate into mass essential demand, and that balancing R&D investment with the practical demands of ordinary users has become the key for AI companies to cross the commercialization chasm.