Crystal Observation | Dialogue with National People's Congress Representative Dong Mingzhu: AI Is Not Omnipotent, Hard Work Is Fundamental

Early spring in Beijing, at the residence of the Guangdong delegation during the National Two Sessions.

National People’s Congress delegate and Gree Electric Appliances Chairman Dong Mingzhu just finished a meeting and sat down again in the interview room. When she saw the microphone handed to her by the reporter, she waved her hand: “Actually, no need for a mic, my voice is loud enough!” As soon as she finished speaking, everyone present laughed.

This year marks the 24th year of Dong Mingzhu serving as a delegate to the National People’s Congress. From an enterprise manager to an NPC delegate, she has always believed that these two roles share a common core—responsibility.

On Fulfilling the Role of a Delegate

—Not an Honor, but a Bridge

Having served for many years, Dong Mingzhu has a very clear understanding of her role as a delegate. “In the past, some regarded being a delegate as an honor. It still is an honor, but I think it’s more about responsibility,” she said. “A delegate acts as a bridge—conveying the spirit of the central government to the people, and bringing the people’s demands up.”

For this reason, her annual suggestions are based on frontline observations and research. This year, she is focusing on the regulation of platform economy.

“Nowadays, online sales and self-media are increasing, so platform responsibility must be emphasized,” Dong Mingzhu said. “Selling goods must be genuine and of quality; false advertising is unacceptable. The freedom of speech in self-media must have boundaries. To attract eyeballs and traffic, some ignore facts, which is destructive to social culture and must be strictly cracked down on.”

In her view, a delegate’s advice should not only focus on their own company’s “territory.” Regarding corporate innovation, Dong Mingzhu has her own stance. “Innovation is about solving problems,” she said. “In the process of development, companies inevitably encounter new issues and cannot avoid them. ‘Encountering problems and solving them’ is part of innovation.” She cited Gree as an example, which since 2018 has kept key core technologies in its own hands,坚持自力更生、自主创新. “Only then can we stay ahead. Last year, our automation was rated as a ‘leading’ smart factory.”

To her, “Innovation is not just a slogan; you must produce something. Is your quality the best? Is your technology unique? That’s the hard truth.”

Robotics Demonstration

On the AI Wave

—Not Omnipotent, Nor Dependable

This year’s government work report repeatedly mentioned “Artificial Intelligence +,” which Dong Mingzhu pays close attention to. She openly states that her main concern is the transformation opportunities brought by “Artificial Intelligence +.” Enterprises must proactively take action and improve efficiency to keep pace with the times. The key to breaking through in manufacturing lies in holding core technologies in their own hands. New productive forces are not just slogans—they involve firmly establishing key components, intelligent manufacturing, and quality standards. Relying on a decade of自主研发, focusing on long-term benefits rather than short-term gains, is the way to leap from following to leading.

When asked for advice to small and medium manufacturing enterprises on how to “break out,” Dong Mingzhu’s answer is straightforward and tough: “You need to be strong yourself! Don’t rely on sympathy or favors. Make your product quality the best. Find your niche, specialize, and do it well. When others are using your products, you can grow from small to big. If your products are poor and you just want others to pity or care for you, you’ll never have a way out.”

At the same time, she has a clear understanding of AI itself.

When asked if she uses AI tools, she shook her head with a smile: “I asked a few questions, and two answers were correct, two were completely wrong.”

“AI is not omnipotent,” Dong Mingzhu said. “It can quickly extract vast amounts of information, but it cannot judge the authenticity of the sources. It often doesn’t understand the context, and the information it provides may not be accurate, even misleading.”

She emphasized that AI can improve efficiency and enhance consumer experience in manufacturing and product design, but ultimately, human logic is essential in design.

Home Appliance Showroom in Shanghai

On Industry Competition

—Price wars are the greatest harm to consumers

Currently, the home appliance industry is engaged in fierce price wars. However, Gree has坚持不打价格战、不代工, and Dong Mingzhu’s stance is clear.

“Price wars are the greatest harm to consumers,” she said. “Consumers may seem to buy cheap products, but the quality differences are often invisible. Buying a poor-quality product results in repair costs far exceeding the price of a good product.”

She believes companies should start with themselves, providing consumers with quality and reasonable guarantees. “The era of huge profits is gone, but even micro-profits are hard to guarantee. Without survival, how can you go global?”

Regarding how small and medium enterprises can innovate, her advice is direct: “What does your company do? What fields do your products serve? Is your quality the best? If your quality is good and others are using your products, you can gradually grow from small to large. If your products are poor and you just want others to pity or care for you, you’ll never find a way out.”

Dong Mingzhu Attends the Guangdong Delegation Plenary

On Young People

—The happiest thing is pursuing your dreams

The warmest moment in the interview was when she talked about young people.

When asked about the popular online phrase “Love oneself first,” Dong Mingzhu offered a different perspective: “When you love yourself, you must first love others. You need to have a mindset of loving others, so that others will love you.”

Regarding the common criticism that young people are “lying flat,” she candidly said: “I hardly encounter ‘lying flat’ young people. Our public opinion should respect reality and showcase the positive side of young people who love their work, rather than constantly criticizing.”

When asked if AI will take away jobs from young people, she answered firmly: “It won’t.” She explained that AI is just better at collecting intelligence and quickly analyzing data, but it lacks independent thinking. It cannot find information that isn’t online and may even give wrong information that misleads people. The core always remains with humans; AI is just a tool that needs to be tamed by people.

She also sent a message to young people: “A person’s happiness comes from the gains during their efforts.” As she left the interview room, she recalled her words: “The happiest thing is pursuing your dreams.”

As a delegate, Dong Mingzhu rates herself as “always improving.” As an enterprise manager, she坚持着34年的制造业初心. As a seasoned person, she tells young people: “Starting out is definitely difficult. From not knowing to knowing is a process of self-awareness. Then, you need others to recognize you. You must communicate with others and let them know you—that’s very important.”

These words are comfort for those on the journey and encouragement for dreamers. Perhaps, this is the warmth that this era most needs.

Jingcai Observation, see you next time!

Editor-in-chief: Wu Gang

Coordinator: Wang Wei, Zhao Jing

Reporters: Wang Jing, Guo Jiali, Zhang Xilun

Editing: Du Wenhan

Design: Li Ziran