Summary of Key Points
This year's 2026 Shanghai World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) has been dubbed the "most popular in history," but the reason for its popularity isn't any groundbreaking technological advancements. Instead, it happened to coincide with a peculiar moment in AI's development: it has become so powerful that it can't be ignored, yet also so flawed that it's ridiculed. The article captures this through 28 real-life moments—from the unattainable tickets, the robots working as laborers, the scholars who cast doubt, to the people sheltering from the rain during a downpour—to paint a picture of a "cyber ukiyo-e": a blend of industry fervor and absurdity. AI is useful yet clumsy, academia and industry are out of sync, and beneath the excitement lies genuine anxiety about survival and external challenges. Ultimately, this account outlines the most intense yet authentic state of China's AI industry in the summer of 2026.
1. Tickets Sold for 10,000 RMB; More Investors Than Industry Participants — Is This WAIC an "AI Version of a Market Fair?"
The hype for WAIC started with the tickets: a one-day ticket that cost 168 RMB was scalped to 1500 RMB, 3000 RMB tickets and premium membership packages were sold out in seconds, and some orders were cancelled after successful payments due to unknown reasons. The venue was so crowded that it was almost unbearable—temperatures reached 50 degrees Celsius, people queued for an hour with their shirts soaked through, and those who fainted from heat were helped out while others watched robots perform dances.
Even more striking is the fact that investors made up the majority of attendees: friends' feeds were filled with mentions of WAIC events, hotel prices doubled, and after-parties lasted from the 17th to the 20th. Funds like ZhenFund and BlueChip were actively participating in the conference. Some joked that there were more investors than industry representatives, reminiscent of previous solar energy exhibitions where everyone feared missing out. However, many attendees were just there to check off their presence, with little knowledge about the organizers Donghao Lansheng.
2. Robots as "Laborers" — Is AI Now Useful but Inefficient?
This year's robots weren't just exhibits; they were actually working: 60 humanoid robots at the Expo Main Venue served as guides with their own power sources lasting for 10 hours; Zhiyuan robots were used in real production lines, and Ant Group's robots could deliver medicines within 90 seconds. Some joked that robots had all the traits of typical office workers. Yet they often failed: they would suddenly stop moving, get stuck mid-gesture, or drop objects and hurt people. The public loved these flaws because they made AI seem more human, not a perfect substitute. Turing Award winner Stuart Russell pointed out, "Current AI is weak and unreliable, but it's very useful."
3. Overseas Scholars Cast Doubt; Local Leaders Talk About Profitability — Are Academia and Industry Out of Touch?
WAIC attracted top-tier attendees, including nine Turing and Nobel laureates, with Yao Qizhi serving as the academic chair. Interestingly, while foreign scholars spoke honestly about the limitations of AI, local leaders focused on practical applications: Russell said, "Most of what's here is computational power, not intelligence," Benio discussed how AI was still in the era of human-generated data, and Xu Li (from SenseTime) talked about commercial use cases. This disconnect reflects the reality of the industry—while academia focuses on fundamental theories, local companies are more concerned with making money.
4. Startups Discuss Tea and Membership Fees; Job Seekers Hand Out Resumes — Is There a Real Need for These Events?
WAIC wasn't just a showcase for large companies; the H4 hall was dominated by startups. Among the 158 small firms, 22 were one-person operations run by their founders. They didn't boast about massive datasets but discussed affordable membership fees (39 RMB, equivalent to the cost of two cups of tea) and a user base of over 5 million. Some said that the " Hundred Models Competition" had faded, and surviving startups focused on revenue, customers, and next projects. Features once deemed unnecessary by large companies became crucial for smaller firms.
The job market was also a reflection of this reality: during the recruitment season, people were handing out resumes at booths, with HR posting job openings nearby. While everyone discussed AGI (general artificial intelligence), these individuals were simply looking for work. Robots sipped herbal tea while humans waited in line for instant noodles—both the elegance of AI and the challenges faced by humans are part of the industry's reality.
5. Robots Dance Inside; Tech Stocks Plummet Outside — Is There a Chill Behind the AI Boom?
The more lively the events inside, the sharper the contrast outside: on the opening day of WAIC, global tech stocks plummeted, with the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index entering a bear market and the Shanghai Composite Index falling by 3%. Chip giants like Nvidia and AMD were absent, while only a few representatives from Apple and Microsoft attended. ByteDance didn't have a booth, relying instead on its Nubia AI phones to show its presence.
The external pressures were significant: in May, the US imposed restrictions on 7nm chips and HBM3 memory, and there were rumors of new AI chip regulations being developed. The festivity inside the venue contrasted sharply with the economic challenges outside. The rain that night brought investors, cosplayers, and robots together under one roof; when the lights went out, the robots stood still like soldiers in a power outage—this celebration might need a moment to pause and reflect.
Conclusion: It's the Clumsy Moments That Reflect the Industry's True State
In years to come, no one will remember the technical details or stock prices. What will be remembered are the long queues for instant noodles in 40-degree heat, the robots that tripped over their own feet, and the people sheltering from the rain. These unexpected, clumsy moments are more authentic than carefully orchestrated demonstrations. They represent the industry's breathless rush, the soberness beneath the hype, and the most touching details of that hot summer in China's AI journey.
This isn't a perfect era for AI, but it is the real era we are living through.