I noticed an interesting trend that many people overlook. It turns out that global token consumption over the past two years has skyrocketed nearly 300 times. It sounds crazy, but these are not just numbers on paper — this is real dynamics reshaping the entire landscape of AI applications.

According to executives from major tech companies speaking at the World Mobile Congress, this jump has directly impacted the development of what was previously considered science fiction — transforming text into video, intelligent shopping systems, and more. Currently, over 30 million AI agents are working worldwide, collaborating together. This is not just a number — it’s a measure of the scale of what’s happening.

What especially amazes me is how this has affected energy consumption. Electricity usage has simply soared. China produced about 10 trillion kilowatt-hours in 2024, more than the US and the EU combined. This is not just industrial power; it’s a demonstration of who is truly driving AI infrastructure development.

It’s interesting to see how China is handling American tariff restrictions. Despite all the blockades, the production of inexpensive tokens continues to grow, supplying global markets. Models like GLM Coding Plan and Kimi K2.5 are quickly gaining popularity. This resembles China’s classic strategy — offering quality products at affordable prices, as it did with cheap labor and textiles. Now, this same model operates at the level of applications and AI services, essentially subsidizing the innovative layer for the rest of the world.

It turns out that token consumption is not just a technical metric; it’s an indicator of how the global economy is being reshaped.