Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered his first keynote address at China's annual World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on Friday, telling attendees that AI development should not be "a solo performance by any single country but rather a symphony of global cooperation." More than 1,100 companies and 1,400 guests are taking part in this year's conference, according to state media.
Xi said China will provide 5,000 AI training opportunities to developing countries over the next five years and will expand AI cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the African Union, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS countries. He also pledged to give 30 countries access to a Chinese-developed AI meteorological early-warning system.
A New Global AI Body
A day before the keynote, 29 countries including Pakistan, Russia and Kazakhstan signed an agreement with China to establish a World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, an intergovernmental body headquartered in Shanghai focused on global AI governance. Leaders from Kazakhstan, Cambodia and Thailand, along with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, also attended the opening.
Huawei Showcases New Computing System
During the conference, Huawei is showcasing its Atlas 950 SuperPoD, a powerful AI computing system, as Chinese firms continue to push forward on domestic chip and AI infrastructure development. Some technology analysts say China has moved from catching up with the United States to becoming an AI innovator in its own right, with open-source models offering an affordable alternative to largely closed-source American systems.
