On May 8, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the State Administration for Market Regulation, and the Ministry of Commerce jointly released the "Intelligent Grading of AI Terminals" (GB/Z177-2026) series of national standards, officially establishing a unified evaluation system for the intelligent capabilities of AI terminals domestically.

The standard adopts a "2+N" architecture. The "2" includes the "Reference Framework" and the "General Requirements," clarifying the definition of smart terminals, grading logic, and testing methods, and establishing a four-level capability ladder: L1 Response Level, L2 Tool Level, L3 Assistance Level, and L4 Collaboration Level. L4 level will be continuously improved in subsequent revisions as technology evolves. The "N" refers to specialized specifications for specific hardware. The first batch covers seven categories: smartphones, microcomputers, televisions, smart glasses, car cabins, speakers, and earphones, with plans to expand to more terminals in the future.

It is reported that the standard was jointly drafted by leading manufacturers such as Xiaomi, Huawei, Honor, OPPO, vivo, Lenovo, and iFLYTEK. The full text has not yet been published on the National Standard Information Platform.

With the accelerated penetration of large models on the edge, the implementation of this grading system will effectively address the overuse of the "intelligent" concept and the fragmentation of evaluation standards in the market, driving the industry from a competition based on hardware parameters to a transformation toward algorithm and scenario collaboration, providing an authoritative benchmark for product development, industry standards, and consumer decision-making.