President Xi Jinping will deliver a keynote address at the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, outlining China's policy stance and proposals for AI development and governance. The four-day event, which opens Friday, is expected to draw more than 1,100 companies and feature over 300 global product debuts - making it one of the largest AI gatherings to date.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian confirmed Xi's attendance on Monday, saying the conference will bring together government officials, industry leaders, academics, and heads of international organizations. Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul will attend during an official visit, and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet is scheduled to speak at the opening ceremony.
A platform for global AI governance
Lin described AI innovation as undergoing broad-based breakthroughs with "unprecedented dynamism." He said these advances present both opportunities and challenges, making AI governance "a profound topic of our times." China has been pushing forward the Global AI Governance Initiative and other proposals introduced by Xi, aiming to provide international public goods and help Global South nations build AI capacity.
"Through this conference, China looks forward to building a platform for all parties to enhance mutual trust, build consensus and deepen cooperation," Lin said. He added that China hopes the gathering will promote sound, safe, and orderly AI development and become "a milestone in the history of AI development."
Record scale and industry turnout
Shanghai Vice-Mayor Chen Jie said at a July 7 news conference that the exhibition area will exceed 100,000 square meters for the first time. More than 3,000 exhibits will be on display, with intelligent computing and embodied AI sections each hosting over 200 companies. Leading tech firms, major state-owned enterprises, and multinationals will showcase AI applications across industries alongside their ecosystem partners.
Shanghai has hosted the conference for eight consecutive years since 2018. The event has grown into a key venue for presenting AI advances and fostering international collaboration. For developers and IT professionals tracking the evolution of generative AI and LLM courses, the conference's scale signals where enterprise investment and policy attention are converging.
Why this matters for IT and development
The conference's emphasis on embodied AI, intelligent computing, and global governance points to concrete demand for skills in robotics integration, large-scale model deployment, and compliance-aware system design. With over 300 products making their global debut, IT teams will get an early look at tools and platforms likely to shape procurement and build-vs-buy decisions in the months ahead. Professionals who align their upskilling with these shifts - such as through AI for IT & Development Courses - will be better positioned to lead implementation when the showcased technologies move from the expo floor to production environments.
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