China will ramp up efforts to integrate artificial intelligence technologies into robots as the country aims to gain a lead in the race toward a smarter, automated society and accelerate the use of industrial and service robots.

Vice-Premier Liu Yandong said on Wednesday that as robotics becomes increasingly intertwined with AI, big data and other technologies, the sector will play a significant role in driving economic growth in China.

"In the future, robots will no longer just be a tool to boost productivity but an advanced, smart assistant to humans, ushering in a new era of intelligent transformation," Liu said at the opening ceremony of the 2017 World Robot Conference in Beijing.