Shanghai: The 2025 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance kicked off in east China's Shanghai on July 26, drawing over 1,000 officials and industry representatives from more than 30 countries. The conference has attracted over 800 Chinese and international exhibitors showcasing more than 3,000 exhibits across 70,000 square meters of exhibition space.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang spoke at the opening of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on Saturday, July 26, 2025, announcing China's global AI action plan that calls for international cooperation on technology development and regulation. The move comes days after the US intensified its own AI initiatives, highlighting the deepening tech rivalry between the world's two largest economies.
China's humanoid robotics sector reached a new milestone at this year's World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), held in Shanghai from Saturday to Tuesday, where more than 150 robots were showcased in the country's largest and most advanced lineup to date. The exhibition featured breakthrough developments in embodied intelligence, with companies like Agibot displaying their Yuanzheng A2 second-generation humanoid robot and Unitree Robotics presenting boxing robots capable of drumming and calligraphy.
The four exhibition halls collectively form an "AI Capability Corridor": The Core Technologies Hall showcases foundational elements like large language models, computing chips, and data platforms, while the Industrial Application Hall highlights AI integration in sectors including intelligent driving, smart cities, and fintech. Chinese robotics firm Dobot Robotics displayed its newest robotic arm, equipped with Tencent Robotics X's VLA large-language model, enabling real-time decision-making and task execution.
Attendees include representatives from over 30 countries, featuring 12 laureates of prestigious awards like the Turing Award and Nobel Prize, over 80 Chinese and international academicians. Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt met with Shanghai Party Secretary Chen Jining on Thursday in the city ahead of the AI conference, underscoring continued international engagement despite geopolitical tensions.
WAIC 2025 serves not only as a technology showcase but also as a global dialogue forum for AI governance. The conference will release the "China AI Safety Commitment Framework," aiming to balance technological innovation with risk governance. As a leading hub for China's AI industry, Shanghai reported an AI industry scale exceeding 118 billion yuan in Q1 2025, with the city positioning itself as a global AI development centre.
The conference runs through July 28, with exhibitions continuing until July 29.