Wang Wei: New Challenges and Solutions in the Development of a Smart Society
The construction of an intelligent society is the inevitable product of the contradictory movement between the productive forces and the relations of production. Marx pointed out that "the productivity of labor... is continually developing with the uninterrupted advance of science and technology," and technological revolution has always been the core driving force propelling shifts in social formations. Human society is accelerating toward an intelligent society characterized by intelligence as its core feature; intelligent manufacturing, smart governance, and intelligent living are reshaping our country's economic forms and social operational modes. However, while releasing enormous dividends, the construction of an intelligent society is facing systemic "growing pains" such as ethical dysfunction, social imbalance, security breaches, and governance failure. Xi Jinping emphasized: "We must seize the opportunity of the integrated development of digitalization, networking, and intelligence, fostering new physical drivers through informatization and promoting new development with these drivers." This assertion points the way forward for the construction of an intelligent society. Therefore, we must profoundly recognize the strategic necessity of building an intelligent society, level-headedly evaluate its attendant deep-seated contradictions and risks, and explore solutions rooted in the rule of law, people-centeredness, multi-party co-governance, and innovation. With a high degree of historical self-awareness and strategic determination, we must ensure that the wave of intelligence develops in a direction conducive to people's well-being, social progress, and national rejuvenation, ultimately realizing the noble ideal of the "association of free individuals" described by Marx.
I. The Necessity of Constructing an Intelligent Society
Currently, the cluster-style breakthroughs in a new generation of information technologies—centered on artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and blockchain—are restructuring human production methods, lifestyles, and social governance models, pushing human society into a new stage of intelligence. The construction of an intelligent society is both an objective requirement of the development of the productive forces and a proactive adjustment of the relations of production to adapt to those forces. This adjustment profoundly reveals the necessary significance of intelligent social transformation for our country's high-quality development, the modernization of social governance, and the fulfillment of the people’s needs for a better life.
(1) Intelligent society construction is the core engine driving high-quality economic development
Marx held that "the hand-mill gives you society with the feudal lord; the steam-mill society with the industrial capitalist." This assertion profoundly reveals the fundamental principle that the productive forces determine the relations of production. The industrial revolution in information technology in the New Era is becoming a new "intelligent mill," driving fundamental changes in social formations. Xi Jinping pointed out: "Science and technology are the primary productive forces, and innovation is the primary driver of development." As the core driving force of the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, intelligent technology is reshaping the global competitive landscape and has become a key field in the contest of national comprehensive strength.
First, the transition to an intelligent society provides new kinetic energy for the leap in total factor productivity. Intelligent manufacturing—utilizing technologies such as the Industrial Internet and digital twins [1]—achieves production automation, flexibility, and intelligence. As of 2025, China has cultivated 421 national-level intelligent manufacturing demonstration factories, with the numerical control rate of key processes reaching 80.1%, significantly improving product quality and production efficiency. This validates Marx’s view that the "development of fixed capital indicates to what degree general social knowledge has become a direct force of production"; intelligence is precisely the concentrated expression of systematizing and algorithmizing human knowledge to act directly upon the production process.
Second, the transition to an intelligent society is the key path to achieving intensive and efficient development. Traditional economies suffer from problems such as resource misallocation and energy waste; intelligent technology provides new solutions through real-time perception, data analysis, and intelligent decision-making. The Modern Energy System Development Plan (2026–2030) for the 15th Five-Year Plan [2] issued by the National Energy Administration emphasizes improving the intelligence level of energy supply chains to achieve all-round perception and digital management. This is a modern practice of Marx’s thought that "socialized large-scale production requires planned and proportionate development," using technology to achieve efficient coordination of social reproduction.
Third, constructing an intelligent society is a strategic choice to seize the global heights of science and technology. In 2023, during an inspection tour of Heilongjiang, Xi Jinping first proposed the concept of "new quality productive forces," emphasizing the need to "integrate scientific and technological innovation resources, lead the development of strategic emerging industries and future industries, and accelerate the formation of new quality productive forces." The construction of an intelligent society is the core content of fostering these new quality productive forces. Major countries worldwide have listed AI, quantum information, and integrated circuits as areas of strategic competition. For example, the United States released the National Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Strategic Plan, and the European Union introduced the Artificial Intelligence Act. China’s New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan outlines a "three-step" strategy, aiming to become a major global AI innovation center by 2030. Through the construction of an intelligent society, we can accelerate the intelligent transformation of traditional industries, strengthen the digital economy, and create internationally competitive industrial clusters. This is not only an economic issue but one concerning the initiative and security of national development.
(2) Intelligent society construction is a key grasp for improving the modernization of social governance
The superstructure acts back upon the economic base; as advanced productive forces, intelligent technologies inevitably require compatible relations of production and superstructures. Constructing an intelligent society promotes the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity through technological empowerment. This aligns closely with the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee [3] to "uphold and improve the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and promote the modernization of national governance."
First, we must enhance governance efficacy to achieve refined, dynamic, and intelligent governance. Traditional bureaucratic governance models face issues such as information asymmetry, delayed responses, and high coordination costs; intelligent technology provides a powerful tool to overcome "governance failure." The Guiding Opinions of the State Council on Strengthening the Construction of a Digital Government explicitly proposes to "build a collaborative and efficient system of digital government performance capabilities." For example, by establishing urban operation command centers and integrating systems like the 12345 hotline [4], grid-based management [5], and emergency command, we can achieve the goal of "observing the entire domain on one screen and managing the whole city through one network." This reflects the possibility mentioned by Engels of bringing "social forces" under "common control" so they truly serve the welfare of society.
Second, we must optimize the supply of public services and practice the people-centered development philosophy. The communist society described by Marx and Engels is an association in which "the free development of each is the condition for the free development of all." Constructing an intelligent society must adhere to the principle of "people first." For instance, smart healthcare uses remote diagnosis to bring high-quality medical resources to the grassroots, alleviating the difficulty of "seeing a doctor." As of October 2025, over 15,000 medical institutions nationwide have launched internet-based medical services, vividly illustrating the concept that "development fruits are shared by the people," serving as an important path to promote social equity and justice.
Third, we must maintain public safety and social stability, reinforcing the intelligent defense line of national security. Security is the prerequisite for development, and the role of intelligent technology in maintaining public safety has become prominent. The "15th Five-Year Plan" for emergency management aims to build a more intelligent and efficient public safety system. For example, using AI video analysis technology allows for 24-hour intelligent monitoring of key areas, improving crime prevention and control; in disaster reduction, satellite remote sensing combined with AI models can provide early warnings, buying time for evacuations. Xi Jinping emphasized: "We must use big data to improve the level of national governance modernization... and promote the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity through informatization." Intelligent security systems are the concrete technical implementation of the "Overall State Security Outlook," [6] enhancing social resilience through technical means to protect the lives and property of the people and ensure overall social stability.
(3) Intelligent society construction is an important way to satisfy the people’s aspirations for a better life
The highest value pursuit of Marxism is the realization of the free and comprehensive development of the individual. The ultimate goal of building an intelligent society is to serve people, liberate them, and promote their comprehensive development. This is highly consistent with Xi Jinping’s solemn promise that "the people’s aspirations for a better life are what we must strive for."
First, the construction of an intelligent society creates a convenient life, liberating human physical strength and time. Smart home systems allow residents to control appliances, security, and lighting via voice or mobile phone, while personalized recommendation algorithms help users quickly find needed content in a sea of information. These technical applications are essentially what Marx described as "machinery and natural forces, the automata of the producer," replacing direct human labor and thereby "liberating human labor power from the direct production process."
Second, the construction of an intelligent society promotes social inclusion, empowers vulnerable groups, and achieves equality of opportunity. Technologies such as screen-reading software, voice recognition, and gesture control provide new channels for information access and communication for the visually and hearing impaired. Intelligent prosthetics and exoskeleton robots help people with disabilities regain mobility. This reflects the humanistic care of technological development and is an important aid on the road to common prosperity.
Finally, the construction of an intelligent society stimulates social vitality, empowering individuals to release their creative potential. Intelligent platforms have lowered the barriers to innovation and entrepreneurship; individuals no longer need massive capital or teams but can showcase talent and create value through short videos, live streaming, or "knowledge-for-pay." This atmosphere, where "everyone can innovate and creation happens everywhere," is the embryonic form of the "association of free individuals" envisioned by Marx, stimulating the innovative vitality of the entire society and opening vast space for the free and comprehensive development of the person.
II. New Problems Facing the Construction of an Intelligent Society
In the New Era, as information technology deeply permeates society, the blueprint for an intelligent society is becoming increasingly clear. However, while this technological revolution brings leaps in efficiency and convenience, it also profoundly disturbs social structures, ethical norms, and governance orders, exposing a series of complex and severe "growing pains." These issues concern not only technology itself but also touch upon equity, justice, human agency, social stability, and the foundations of civilization, requiring profound reflection at both theoretical and practical levels.
(1) The profound emergence of technological ethics and value conflicts
The widespread application of intelligent technology poses unprecedented challenges to traditional ethical frameworks, with value conflicts erupting across multiple dimensions. First, algorithmic bias and systemic discrimination erode equity and justice. Algorithmic bias refers to phenomena where—due to the subjective perceptions or goal-setting of developers—biases are implicitly embedded in data processing and decision-making, causing the algorithm to "learn" and amplify these biases, resulting in unfair treatment of specific groups. This can lead to systemic discrimination in sectors such as recruitment, credit, and the judiciary.
Furthermore, privacy leakage and data misuse carry immense risks. In the massive collection of data—especially biometric information—data is used for user profiling, precision marketing, and even behavioral manipulation. Some scholars argue: "In an intelligent society, personal data has become an important asset, but its collection and use often lack effective supervision." Social media platforms analyze users' browsing history, likes, and comments to build detailed profiles, causing users to fall into "information cocoons," [7] where they are only exposed to information that conforms to their own views, limiting their thinking and perspective.
Finally, algorithmic substitution weakens human agency. Algorithmic substitution refers to using algorithmic models to replace traditional manual operations, empirical judgments, and fixed rule-based processes to achieve more efficient and precise automated decision-making. Excessive reliance on algorithmic decisions may weaken human judgment, autonomy, and the sense of responsibility, leading to "technological alienation." The French scholar Michel Foucault pointed out that in an intelligent society, people increasingly rely on algorithms to make decisions, from shopping choices in daily life to decision-making at work. However, algorithmic substitution is based on data and models and often lacks human emotion, morality, and value considerations. For example, some recruitment algorithms might focus only on quantitative indicators like education and experience, ignoring "soft qualities" such as innovation and teamwork.
(2) Drastic changes in social structure and employment forms
The impact of intelligent technology on the labor market is subversive, and the resulting social structural changes cannot be ignored. First, skill mismatch...
The "employment cliff" poses risks of structural unemployment. Currently, automation and AI are rapidly replacing repetitive, rule-based physical and mental labor. In 2017, the McKinsey Global Institute published a report titled Jobs Lost, Jobs Gained: Workforce Transitions in a Time of Automation, predicting that by 2030, as many as 800 million jobs worldwide could disappear due to automation, with manufacturing, food services, and administrative support being the hardest hit. A large number of low-skilled workers may face the risk of unemployment, while enterprises find it difficult to recruit suitable high-skilled talent. This skills mismatch leads to structural unemployment and exerts a negative impact on socio-economic stability. Furthermore, old problems manifest in new social forms, such as the "gig economy" and the lack of protection for labor rights. The platform economy has given rise to a large number of flexible employees who often face unstable income, a lack of social security, and excessive work intensity. In the "gig economy" model, the relationship between workers and platforms is often blurred; workers are not formal employees of the platform and lack the labor contract protections found in traditional employment models. Finally, the digital divide exists not only between nations but also between different groups within a single country. The elderly, low-income groups, residents of remote areas, and those with lower levels of education are at a disadvantage regarding access to equipment, network connectivity, and digital skills. When public services become fully online and intelligent, these "digitally vulnerable groups" may be excluded, leading to an opposition between "digital elites" and "digital outcasts," which violates the original aspiration of inclusive sharing in a smart society.
(3) Safety Risks and the Lag in Governance Systems The "double-edged sword" effect of technology is particularly prominent in the field of security, and the lag in governance systems further amplifies these risks. First, cybersecurity threats are constantly escalating. In a smart society, once critical infrastructure becomes intelligent, it faces more complex cyberattacks. For example, ransomware demands payments by encrypting critical data, causing huge economic losses to enterprises and society, while Deepfake technology may be used maliciously to damage personal reputations or disrupt social stability. Second, legal and regulatory supervision is lagging. The existing legal framework struggles to keep up with the rapid iteration of technology, lacking clear definitions and effective regulatory means for data ownership, algorithm transparency, and AI accountability. The development of smart technology far outpaces the speed of legislative updates. For instance, although China has enacted the Data Security Law and the Personal Information Protection Law, specific implementation details, cross-departmental coordination, and enforcement capabilities still need reinforcement. Regulatory agencies may face a "knowledge gap," making it difficult to effectively assess the technical risks of complex AI systems, resulting in a "regulatory vacuum." Third, the governance system for smart society construction faces deep-seated challenges. Technological change not only alters the external world but also profoundly affects the human psyche and social relations. For example, the public's lack of understanding regarding the algorithmic "black box" leads to concerns about privacy leaks, causing anxiety and distrust toward smart technologies. Meanwhile, although the popularization of social media facilitates communication, virtual socializing cannot replace real social interaction; over-reliance can lead to cold and alienated interpersonal relationships.
III. Path Choices for Constructing a Smart Society
The rise of the smart society is a major milestone in the evolution of human civilization. Its development not only reshapes modes of production and life but also profoundly affects the social structure, ethical order, and global governance landscape. Xi Jinping pointed out: "Artificial intelligence is a strategic technology leading the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, possessing a strong 'bellwether' effect [8] that drives other sectors." This assertion is rooted in the Marxist view of science and technology while integrating the practical requirements of Chinese-path modernization. It provides a fundamental guideline for the healthy development of a smart society and systematically constructs a practical path for a healthy and sustainable smart society across four dimensions: top-level design, value orientation, governance mechanisms, and innovation drive.
(1) Strengthening the Foundation: Reinforcing Top-Level Design and Legal Safeguards Marxism holds that technology is the "objectification of the essential powers of man" [9]—that is, humans externalize their wisdom and creativity into tools and machines through labor to transform nature and develop society. Primarily, technology should be a powerful tool for achieving human liberation and free and comprehensive development. Therefore, the governance of a smart society must transcend the myth of "technological neutrality," systematically examine the interaction between technology, social power, and relations of production, and remain highly vigilant against—and effectively prevent—technological alienation. To this end, governance must reconstruct technical power relations through institutional innovations such as anti-monopoly enforcement, data rights clarification, and income distribution mechanisms, ensuring that technological development does not serve capital monopolies but returns to serving the public interest. Furthermore, we must uphold human subjectivity. Governance must ensure the fundamental boundary of "technology for the people," safeguarding the individual's right to know, right to choose, and right to opt out, thereby maintaining autonomous judgment and spiritual independence amidst the wave of intelligence. This will truly realize the association envisioned by Marx where "the free development of each is the condition for the free development of all." Finally, the construction of a smart society must take national strategy as its program, clarifying the development vision, target systems, and implementation paths. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee [10] anchored new goals for Chinese-path modernization. In conjunction with the Guiding Principles for Standardization of Smart Society Development and Governance (2025 Edition), while identifying the breakthrough directions for core technologies such as AI, big data, and blockchain, we must coordinately advance digital infrastructure construction, industrial digital transformation, and the improvement of digital governance capabilities to form a closed-loop system of "strategy-planning-action."
The rule of law is the cornerstone of a smart society's operation. Currently, China has enacted basic laws such as the Data Security Law and the Personal Information Protection Law, but in the face of challenges from new technologies like generative AI and Deepfakes, matching regulations still need to be refined. Specifically, we should establish a "classified supervision" framework for the smart society, formulating differentiated rules based on risk levels. "Sandbox regulation" should be implemented in high-risk areas, with ethical impact assessments for major projects, allowing enterprises to test new technologies within defined scenarios. In low-risk areas, a "negative list" management approach should be promoted to stimulate innovative vitality. As Xi Jinping stated: "We must strengthen research on legal, ethical, and social issues related to artificial intelligence, and establish and improve laws, regulations, institutional systems, and ethics to ensure the healthy development of artificial intelligence." This assertion unifies the rule of law with ethics and social benefits, embodying the Marxist pursuit of the "free and comprehensive development of man."
(2) People-Centeredness: Bridging the Digital Divide and Guaranteeing Fairness and Dignity The construction of a smart society must adhere to the people-centered development philosophy, ensuring that the fruits of technological progress benefit all people rather than exacerbating social fragmentation. Xi Jinping’s concept of "letting hundreds of millions of people have a greater sense of fulfillment as they share the fruits of internet development" profoundly reflects the fundamental Marxist pursuit of "comprehensive human development" and "common prosperity." First, the digital divide remains a key obstacle to the equitable development of a smart society. To address this challenge, a systematic "National Digital Literacy Improvement Plan" must be implemented. For the elderly, "aging-friendly" courses should be developed to enhance practical skills such as smart device usage and anti-fraud knowledge. For low-income groups, free training in e-commerce operations and data analysis should be provided to empower them to participate in the digital economy. For people with disabilities, barrier-free interaction technologies should be designed to achieve technological inclusivity. Furthermore, China needs to construct a more resilient social security system. Smart society construction must actively explore institutional innovations, promoting "portable social security accounts" that allow workers to transfer entitlements across regions and platforms, and researching "Universal Basic Income" (UBI) pilots to provide a basic safety net for the technologically unemployed, thereby demonstrating the superiority of the socialist system. Finally, as the demand for talent in a smart society shifts from single-knowledge types to comprehensive literacy, we must advance a "three-dimensional reform" of education. Regarding educational content, primary and secondary schools should add "AI Fundamentals" and "Data Ethics" courses, while higher education should strengthen interdisciplinary training such as "Computer Science + Psychology" and "Law + Data Science." Regarding educational methods, Project-Based Learning (PBL) and blended teaching should be promoted, utilizing AI to achieve personalized learning path planning. Regarding educational systems, a lifelong learning system of "pre-employment—on-the-job—career change" should be constructed.
(3) Synergistic Governance: Constructing a Multi-Stakeholder Governance System The complexity and systemic nature of a smart society dictate that its governance cannot rely on a single entity. It must transcend the traditional "government-centric" management model to build a modern governance system led by the government with multi-party participation and collaborative progress. This is not only a requirement for technical governance but also a practical deepening of the concepts of socialist consultative democracy and the social governance model based on collaboration, participation, and common interests. Xi Jinping pointed out: "We must improve our comprehensive network governance capabilities and form a comprehensive internet management pattern in which committees of the Party exercise leadership, the government exercises management, enterprises fulfill their responsibilities, society exercises supervision, and netizens exercise self-discipline, combining various means such as economic, legal, and technical measures." This discourse provides the fundamental guideline for smart society governance. An ideal governance structure should be an organic whole of four-party coordination: "government-enterprises-academia-public." As the rule-maker and regulator, the government needs to clarify data classification and grading standards, set "red lines" for AI applications, crack down on data abuse, and lead the provision of public services such as smart city construction. As the main subjects of technological innovation and application, enterprises must assume social responsibility, developing "Responsible AI," avoiding discrimination in algorithm design, implementing protections such as anonymization and encryption for user data, and actively participating in the formulation of industrial technical standards. Notably, enterprises should shift from "value capture" to "value creation" and "value sharing." Academia should play the role of a "think tank," conducting governance research on AI safety testing and algorithmic bias to provide a scientific basis for policy formulation.
(4) Innovation-Driven: Focusing on Security and Sustainable Development The sustainable development of a smart society must be built on a foundation of secure, trustworthy, and sustainable innovation. Technological innovation cannot merely pursue efficiency and speed; it must internalize ethics, security, and sustainability throughout the entire research and development process. Xi Jinping emphasized: "We must seize the 'bull's nose' [11] of independent innovation in key core digital technologies, leverage the advantages of China's socialist system, the new type of whole-nation system [12], and our ultra-large-scale market, improve our basic R&D capabilities in digital technology, and win the battle to break through key core technologies." This important discourse points the way for China's development of smart technology. The security of a smart society depends on technological autonomy and controllability. We must solidify the foundation of security, focusing on three core areas: In terms of AI security, defensive technologies such as input purification and model robustness training should be developed against adversarial attacks to ensure stable system operation. In terms of privacy computing, technologies such as federated learning and secure multi-party computation should be promoted to achieve "data that is usable but not visible," while regulating the market through authoritative certification systems, such as the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) "Privacy Computing Product Evaluation." In terms of trustworthy blockchain, consensus mechanisms should be optimized to promote a transition to low-carbon models such as "Proof of Stake" (PoS), and cross-chain technologies should be developed to enhance interoperability. At the same time, technological innovation must transcend the "develop first, govern later" model, bringing ethical considerations to the fore and constructing an ethical closed loop. A closed-loop governance mechanism of "technical R&D—ethical review—social assessment—dynamic adjustment" should be established. Independent science and technology ethics committees should be set up during project initiation, collecting social opinions through "citizen juries" and "public hearings," and implementing an "ethical one-vote veto" [13] for high-risk technologies. During operation, professional institutions should be used to establish "AI risk early-warning systems" to monitor risks in real-time and dynamically optimize governance rules. This responds to the requirement of "integrating secure development throughout all areas and the whole process of national development," promoting a shift in the development outlook toward equal emphasis on security and sustainable development.
About the Author: Wang Wei is a doctoral student at Harbin Engineering University and a lecturer at the School of Marxism, Heilongjiang University of Science and Technology. Source: Theoretical Horizon (《理论视野》), Issue 11, 2025. Editor: Huihui