Abstract: Laser additive manufacturing technology has the process characteristics of step-by-step melting and solidification from point to line, to face, and to body, as well as layered manufacturing. It breaks through the technical bottleneck of preparing complex metal components in principle, has unique advantages in achieving the integration of materials, structures and functions, and holds broad application prospects in the fabrication of large and complex structural parts. Laser additive manufacturing technology has emerged as the most dependable and feasible method of metal additive manufacturing, and has been utilized in a considerable number of medical, automotive, aerospace and other fields. Based on the summary of research progress in metal laser additive manufacturing, the origin and principles of laser additive manufacturing were traced back, and the development of laser additive manufacturing was systematically presented from three aspects of science-technology-engineering. The typical application of laser additive manufacturing technology in engineering was discussed, highlighting recent advancements both domestically and internationally. This analysis addressed the current challenges and limitations within the field, while also providing a statistical overview of relevant papers and patents published over the past decade. Furthermore, it anticipated future development trends and research directions for laser additive manufacturing. The integration of laser additive manufacturing technology with machine learning represents an inevitable direction for future development. The emerging trend towards intelligent additive manufacturing is poised to inject new vitality into laser additive manufacturing technology within the industrial sector.