Chinese Banks and Carriers Embrace AI Tokens for Rewards and Lending
Chinese banks, telecom carriers, and a Guangzhou district have adopted AI tokens as credit card rewards, monthly plans, and business lending collateral. This trend is notable in several ways:
- AI-Native Credit Cards: Companies like Kimi and Agricultural Bank of China have launched AI-native credit cards available only in mainland China. Early adopters receive gifts with their first application.
- Token Packages for Developers and Households: China Telecom offers trial token packages to developers, small businesses, and individuals, priced at 9.9 yuan per month for 10 million tokens.
- Token Loan in Guangzhou: Haizhu district in Guangzhou introduced a Token Loan program, considering token consumption, platform qualifications, and payment collection as part of credit review. They also offer financial support for AI companies to improve their token output per chip.
Across Europe, research reveals varying tokenizer fertility rates—ranging from 1.23 tokens per word in English to approximately 3.1 in Greek and Maltese. This means the same token bundle purchases different amounts of service depending on the language and location.
In terms of public investment, Europe has allocated roughly €30 billion behind AI gigafactories, with only about €1 billion committed by Brussels. The difference lies in whether funds are directed toward building compute infrastructure or incentivizing its use.