User Growth of AIGC Independent App Soars 8x, Integrating Deeply Across Various Industries

On May 7th, QuestMobile, a prominent business intelligence service in China, unveiled its Spring 2024 report on the mobile internet landscape. As of March 2024, the mobile internet's monthly active user count reached 1.232 billion, reflecting a gain of 20 million year-over-year. User engagement continues to rise, with total mobile internet usage time hitting 203.96 billion hours—an increase of 11.6 billion hours compared to the previous year.

This growth is largely fueled by the rapid expansion of mobile video, social media, and e-commerce, which accounted for 46.7%, 21.8%, and 10.7% of user gains, respectively. With average monthly usage climbing to 165.6 hours—up 6.6 hours from last year—both the user base and engagement levels are steadily increasing, laying a strong foundation for digital transformation across various industries. Notably, Artificial Intelligence Generated Content (AIGC) has emerged as the fastest-growing and most profitable sector, boasting over 73.8 million independent AIGC app users—an eightfold increase year-on-year.

The rise in AIGC users is supported by favorable policies and advancements in digital infrastructure, particularly with 5G technology. By late 2023, China had established over 3.377 million 5G base stations and 805 million 5G users. The demand for 5G smartphones is robust, with all top five models purchased by Chinese consumers in March 2024 being 5G compatible. In fact, from January to March 2024, the leading ten activated models were also 5G smartphones, including OPPO Reno11, vivo S18, and vivo X100.

These advancements in digital infrastructure are propelling AIGC's expansion across various platforms. By March 2024, AIGC apps reported impressive growth, with Douyin’s Doubao reaching 23.28 million monthly active users and Baidu's Wenxin Yiyan attracting 14.66 million. Other AIGC applications are also gaining traction.

Established platforms like Netease Youdao Dictionary, Zhihu, Ctrip, and Meitu have integrated AIGC modules to engage users and evolve their service models. Startups in the AI sector are leveraging mini-programs on major platforms to quickly grow their customer bases, exemplified by Kimi's WeChat mini-program, which has over 910,000 monthly active users.

AI integration is also transforming the traditional office software landscape. Major companies are embedding AI features into their products, with Kingsoft Office's "WPS AI," DingTalk’s "Tongyi Qianwen," and Netease Mail's "AI + Lingxi" becoming essential productivity tools.

Furthermore, AIGC's impact is increasingly felt in tourism, where digital avatars are enhancing customer service and engagement. Virtual hosts and digital representations, inspired by cultural figures, are boosting local tourism. Similarly, digital news anchors like "AI Wangguan" and "Dongfang Yuan" have garnered notable followings.

In content creation, AI-driven tools are improving efficiency, empowering creators on platforms like Douyin and Xiaohongshu to produce engaging content rapidly. This shift is cultivating new consumer trends, including the emergence of "Neo-Chinese style," urban sports aesthetics, and the "Mint Mambo" look, capturing online users' attention.

This report underscores the dynamic evolution of China's mobile internet and the pivotal role of AI technologies in driving industry growth and enhancing consumer experiences.