SHANGHAI, July 18 (Xinhua) -- As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly reshapes economies and societies, global attention is shifting beyond technological breakthroughs to how AI can be developed responsibly and inclusively.
For many, the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), being held in Shanghai on July 17-20, represents an important platform for bringing countries together to address shared challenges, strengthen cooperation and ensure that more nations can participate in shaping the future of AI.
"China is playing a very important role in not just being at the table but convening, bringing countries and people together to advance safe and ethical AI, and setting a tone by adopting some safety regulations quite early," Mark Jay Nitzberg, executive director of UC Berkeley's Center for Human-Compatible AI and a guest speaker at the main forum of the conference.
"AI is going to constantly change," Turing Award winner John Edward Hopcroft told Xinhua on the sidelines of the conference. "There are going to be other changes. You have to have a strategy which will be resilient to changes."
Noting that every technology has advantages and disadvantages, Hopcroft emphasized the need for global AI governance. "Governments have to regulate technology so that the good parts of the technology are available."
While AI has brought many positive impacts, its rapid development has also raised several concerns, said Kang Ho-gu, director of the Sino-Korea Economy/Society Institute. AI can serve humanity and contribute to the greater good if used properly and responsibly. Still, it could also pose risks to human society if misused or abused, he told Xinhua in an interview.
Against this backdrop, Kang said the WAIC was held at a critical time, providing a valuable platform for stakeholders from around the world to discuss the opportunities, challenges and future direction of the technology.
Xue Lan, dean of the Schwarzman College at Tsinghua University, pointed out several AI-related risks, including misuse, potential technical failures or loss of control, as well as social challenges such as job displacement and widening income inequality.
Highlighting the global AI divide as a key challenge, Xue said China's focus on capacity building and inclusive development addresses the concerns of many developing countries.
China's efforts aim not only to share technologies and applications, but also to help countries build their own capabilities so they can develop and apply AI based on their own needs and conditions, the expert said.
In a similar view, Kang noted the growing AI divide between developed and developing countries, saying technological gaps and limited resources could deepen existing economic and knowledge disparities.
Balew Demissie, senior consultant at the Policy Studies Institute of Ethiopia, said the conference is important because "AI is no longer only a technological issue; it has become a global governance challenge requiring international cooperation on ethics, safety, inclusiveness, and equitable access."
The conference "provides an important platform for engagement, learning, and partnership-building" and "an opportunity for developing countries to move beyond being consumers of technology and become active participants in AI innovation through capacity building, knowledge sharing and partnerships," Demissie told Xinhua.
Cavince Adhere, a Kenyan international relations scholar, noted that Africa, with its youthful population and rapid digital adoption, stands at a critical juncture. Without active participation in the AI revolution, the continent risks widening the global AI divide, he said.
Against this backdrop, the WAIC marks an important opportunity to promote more balanced AI development worldwide, Adhere said.
Pravate Tantisajjatham, president of Thai Blockchain Association, also said that the conference has provided Thailand with a valuable platform to learn from international experience and strengthen its capabilities in developing AI technologies and digital infrastructure.
The WAIC, said the Thai expert, demonstrates China's role as a major technology power in supporting the development of other countries, promoting openness and cooperation rather than technological isolation, and helping developing countries not be left behind.
"The WAIC 2026 is not only a place where we discuss the future of artificial intelligence, but also a place where the foundations of a future system of international cooperation and global governance in this field are being laid," said Nenad Popovic, minister without portfolio of Serbia.
On Thursday, 29 countries signed an agreement in Shanghai on establishing the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) to cope with opportunities and challenges posed by thinking machines.
Popovic said the creation of WAICO "represents the beginning of building a new system of international cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence, based on dialogue, mutual trust, and shared responsibility."
The common goal should be to ensure that AI remains at the service of humanity, contributes to sustainable development, and becomes a driver of shared prosperity rather than a source of new divisions, he added.
Warda Aslam, AI expert and professor at the Faculty of Computing & AI at Air University, Islamabad, said that China's initiatives on global AI capacity building, particularly the promotion of the AI-powered meteorological warning system, known as MAZU, represent a practical example of how AI can be used as a global public good.
By sharing AI-powered early warning capabilities, China is helping bridge the technological gap and enabling nations to improve disaster preparedness, emergency response and long-term climate adaptation, Aslam said. Enditem
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