[Purpose/significance] Data-intelligence empowerment is a common concern and focus of both the aca⁃demic and practical communities in today’s data-intelligence era. However, no consensus has been reached on what data-intelligence empowerment is. Therefore, there is an urgent need to trace back and clarify the concept of data-in⁃telligence empowerment and to provide a comprehensive interpretation of data-intelligence empowerment, so as to lay the foundation for data-intelligence empowerment research and practice. [Method/process] Based on the theory of da⁃ta-intelligence and the theory of empowerment, the concepts of data-intelligence and empowerment were traced and ex⁃plained respectively according to the basic logic of word formation. On this basis, the two concepts of data-intelligence and empowerment were refuted, and the sources, meanings and perspectives of data-intelligence empowerment were analyzed. [Result/conclusion] The research shown that data-intelligence empowerment is an interactive synergy. It is based on the premise of mutual authorization between the enabler, the empowerment object and the data-intelligence tool. It is the process of generating big data through digitalization and intelligentization means, then mining and extract⁃
ing intelligence from big data and pointing to intelligence applications. Its purpose is to stimulate and promote a certain or a series of capabilities of the empowerment object to achieve from nothing to something, from something to something good, and then expand the value creation space. The perspectives of data-intelligence empowerment mainly include eight aspects: connection, aggregation, openness, adaptation, intelligence, precision, dynamics, and synergy.