SHANGHAI – China’s World AI Conference (WAIC) kicked off on Friday in Shanghai, one day after 29 countries agreed to establish a global organization dedicated to collaborating on AI innovation, development, and governance. Termed the “World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization,” or WAICO, China first proposed the initiative at last year’s WAIC. Signatories include Kazakhstan, Laos, Pakistan, Russia, and Indonesia.The annual conference, held this year from July 17 to 20, was founded in 2018 by multiple national ministries and the Shanghai municipal government to connect AI companies, researchers, and developers.This year’s event featured a keynote speech by Chinese President Xi Jinping, as well as over 1,100 international AI companies showcasing more than 3,000 cutting-edge products and technologies, including over 300 global debuts, such as an agentic AI smartphone, which can operate autonomously rather than simply responding to users’ commands. The event also welcomed other world leaders, including United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.In his keynote speech at the conference’s opening, Xi said that AI is emerging as a new engine of economic growth and is moving from the “digital world” into the “physical world.”“We should seize this opportunity to promote open collaboration, accelerate innovation, and expand real-world applications so that AI can empower industries across the economy,” Xi said.He also called for enhanced alignment and coordination to develop a consensus-based global AI governance framework that better benefits humanity.Wang Tianchan, an AI research fellow at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS), told Sixth Tone that Xi’s attendance reflects that the event aligns with the country’s broader national priorities.Xi also announced that China will invite 5,000 individuals from developing countries to partake in AI training opportunities over the next five years. China will also establish international AI application cooperation centers with regional organizations, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Arab League, the African Union, and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States. The AI race has moved beyond models and chatbots, Gu Jiawei, founder and CEO of AI startup Ling.ai, told Sixth Tone.“The next breakthrough will happen in the real world — whether AI can understand its environment, proceed through successive situations, and work reliably under complex constraints,” he said. “What matters most at WAIC is seeing intelligence move from demonstration into daily life.”With AI becoming a strategic technology shaping economic growth and global competition, WAIC has also expanded beyond technology showcases to include discussions on AI governance, international cooperation, and the industry’s future. Beginning in 2024, the conference has been held alongside the country’s “High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance,” a platform for global AI dialogue.“As AI reshapes the global landscape, the way we approach these conversations matters,” Wang, the SIIS research fellow, said. “An open, cooperative, and pragmatic approach is essential to answering one of the most critical questions today: where should AI go next?”Editor: Marianne Gunnarsson.(Header image: A visitor interacts with an AI-powered companion robot at the 2026 World AI Conference in Shanghai, July 17, 2026. VCG)