Summary of Key Highlights
The 9th World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in 2026 was held in Shanghai, with the theme "Intelligent Partners, Creating a Shared Future." This event served not only as a showcase for AI companies to display their products but, more importantly, it represented China's contribution to global AI governance by presenting an open academic platform. It also featured cutting-edge technologies such as chips, computing power, and intelligent hardware, as well as the latest advancements in areas like large-scale models, terminal integration, and robotics.
I. China Takes the Lead in Global AI Governance, Offering a "Chinese Solution"
The rapid development of AI has raised concerns about its impact on privacy, security, and fairness, which require global collaboration to address. Prior to this conference, China initiated the signing of the "World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization Agreement" with the aim of jointly establishing rules. Some of the notable achievements include:
- Ethical Review System 'Yijian' 2.0: This system acts as a moral filter for AI to prevent it from engaging in harmful behavior.
- Global Governance Index (2026): Covering 40 economies, this index incorporates a "developing countries perspective" to ensure more equitable governance.
- Governance Trend Report: It tracks global AI policies over the past year and highlights how China has used AI to benefit ordinary people, such as in healthcare services for rural areas and teaching the elderly to use smartphones.
In essence, China is no longer following others in AI governance; instead, it is proactively providing a more balanced and inclusive approach to the world.
II. China Launches a Top-Level AI Academic Conference
The conference introduced "WAICA" (World Artificial Intelligence Conference · Academic), a globally renowned academic event organized by China itself:
- Strong Faculty: The chairperson is Yao Qizhi, the recipient of the Turing Award (often referred to as the "Nobel Prize" in AI), and the program committee is chaired by two academicians.
- High International Recognition: A total of 282 papers were submitted, with only 57 accepted (an acceptance rate of 20%, on par with other top international conferences). The authors come from 12 countries, including prestigious institutions like Princeton and Cambridge.
- Open Philosophy: The organizers emphasize that academia should not be influenced by external factors, meaning that researchers from any country can present their work as long as it is of high quality.
This marks a significant shift for China in the AI academic community, as it has moved from being a participant to a leader with its own voice in this field.
III. Advanced AI Products on Display: Domestic Technologies Show Their Strength
The products showcased at the conference were all highly sophisticated:
- Chips and Computing Power: Huawei displayed a supernode with 1024 Ascend cards, boasting the strongest computing power in the world. The ten-thousand-card cluster from Zhongke Shuguang is the largest AI computing system in China. Domestic chips are becoming increasingly popular; for example, the chips used by Diguahu Robot have been adopted by over 20 leading robotics companies, which have replaced their data centers and robot components with domestic alternatives.
- Green Energy + AI: The Southern Power Grid introduced a system that accurately calculates the power consumption of AI applications, helping to optimize electricity costs and reduce carbon emissions. Since AI consumes a lot of energy, green energy solutions are crucial.
- Next-Generation Intelligent Hardware: AI glasses have become a new trend; for instance, the Xinyou Technology glasses weigh only 14.9 grams (lighter than regular glasses) and can automatically record life moments, potentially replacing smartphones as the primary information device due to their proximity to the eyes.
IV. The Continuous Evolution of AI
AI is constantly evolving in three key areas:
- More Practical Large-Scale Models: Alibaba, Baidu, and Tencent have all developed large-scale models. The K3 model from Yuezhiyan can process 1 million text segments at once (equivalent to a long novel), with performance approaching the international elite level. The market is no longer satisfied with basic chat functions; there is a focus on whether these models can be effectively applied in real-world scenarios such as factories and hospitals.
- AI on Terminals: The world's first "large-scale model smartphone" was unveiled, enabling users to perform various tasks directly on their phones. Seven new AI services have been added by telecommunications companies (e.g., Huawei's Xiaoyi and Apple's Siri), indicating that AI is moving from the cloud to our pockets.
- Smarter Robots: Humanoid robots like those from Zhiyuan can serve as tour guides in exhibition halls or provide hotel hospitality. Ant Group's intelligent pharmacy robots can dispense medication in just 90 seconds. A major breakthrough is in data collection; companies have accumulated extensive data from real-world scenarios, enabling robots to better adapt to the real world.
Conclusion
The WAIC demonstrates that China not only possesses strong technical capabilities in AI but also takes an active role in governance and academia. AI products are gradually moving from laboratories to our daily lives. In the future, AI is expected to become an integral part of our work and life, just like water and electricity, serving as an intelligent partner.