An array of 512 DF1000 chips, developed by Shanghai-based AI startup Dongfang Suanxin, is displayed at the 2026 World AI Conference in Shanghai on Sunday. GAO ERQIANG/CHINA DAILY
Walk into the newly opened Caohejing M+ commercial center in Shanghai's Xuhui district, and the future is already standard operating procedure. Across its 50,000 square meters, autonomous cleaning and food-delivery robots navigate the floors, while visitors engage with virtual reality skiing simulators and 3D printing workshops.
But this is more than just a high-tech mall; it's the physical manifestation of a world-class artificial intelligence ecosystem. Xuhui, which began its journey four decades ago as a microelectronics hub, has transformed into a hyperdense AI development zone. Today, the district is home to a quarter of Shanghai's key AI enterprises, a quarter of its integrated circuit design enterprises, and more than a quarter of its registered large-model companies.
While Xuhui is just a snapshot of Shanghai's early strategic moves in the AI sector, the World AI Conference, which has been held annually in the city since 2018, has attracted more than 3,000 leading AI companies from around the globe and facilitated insights from over 8,000 industry experts.
