NIO's Li Bin: Smart EVs Are Now the Largest AI Application Industry

NIO founder, chairman and CEO Li Bin spoke at the 2026 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit, sharing his views on how AI and the auto industry are coming together.

He believes that as AI speeds up its move from the digital world into the physical world, smart electric vehicles have become the largest AI application industry. The global auto industry, covering parts, vehicles, sales, services and finance, is worth about 7 to 9 trillion US dollars. AI in cars is expected to create over 1.2 trillion US dollars in business value.

Cars are closely tied to daily life and society. Drivers worldwide spend over 1.5 billion hours on the road every day, and more than 1.16 million people die in traffic accidents each year. Li Bin said the point of smart driving is not to take away drivers' jobs, but to free up energy and cut down accidents. AI should make work easier and safer, not take away the meaning of human life.