China Proposes Global AI Cooperation Organization, Challenging US Dominance

China Prepares to Unseat US in Fight for $4.8 Trillion AI Market

While humanoid robots faced off in a boxing ring at China's flagship artificial intelligence conference in Shanghai, a fight in the US-China tech war was fought in suits nearby over who gets to set the rules in the AI age. China's answer is a new global organization to convene countries to foster safe and inclusive use of the powerful new technology. At the annual World AI Conference over the weekend, Chinese Premier Li Qiang warned of AI "monopoly" and instead called on foreign officials in the room -- mostly from developing countries -- to cooperate on governance.

China's Premier Takes Aim at AI 'Monopoly' as US Effort Quickens

China will spearhead the creation of an international organization to jointly develop AI, the country's premier said, seeking to ensure that world-changing technology doesn't become the province of just a few nations or companies. Artificial intelligence harbors risks from widespread job losses to economic upheaval that require nations to work together to address, Premier Li Qiang told the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on Saturday. That means more international exchanges, Beijing's No. 2 official said during China's most important annual technology summit.

China's Premier Li proposes global AI cooperation organisation

SHANGHAI, July 26 (Reuters) - Chinese Premier Li Qiang proposed on Saturday establishing a world artificial intelligence cooperation organisation, calling on countries to coordinate development and security of the fast-evolving technology. Speaking at the opening of the annual World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, Li called AI a new engine for growth but said governance is fragmented and emphasised the need to step up coordination between countries to form a globally recognised framework for AI. The three-day event brings together industry leaders and policymakers at a time of escalating technological competition between China and the U.S., with AI emerging as a key battleground between the world's two largest economies. Washington has imposed export restrictions on advanced technology to China, including AI chips and chipmaking equipment, citing concerns the technology could enhance China's military capabilities. Despite these restrictions, China has continued making AI breakthroughs that have drawn close scrutiny from U.S. officials. Li said AI technologies were rapidly evolving but that there were constraints, such as the lack of high-end computing chips and restrictions on talent exchange. He called for breaking through bottlenecks for open and coordinated innovation. Reporting by Brenda Goh; Writing by Liz Lee; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and William Mallard Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab * Suggested Topics: * Artificial Intelligence Brenda Goh Thomson Reuters Brenda Goh is Reuters' Shanghai bureau chief and oversees coverage of corporates in China. Brenda joined Reuters as a trainee in London in 2010 and has reported stories from over a dozen countries.

Chinese premier proposes global AI cooperation organisation

BEIJING, July 26 (Reuters) - China proposes establishing a world artificial intelligence cooperation organisation, Premier Li Qiang said on Saturday, calling on countries to coordinate development and security. Li said in his opening speech at the World AI Conference in Shanghai that AI governance is fragmented and that it is important to step up coordination to form a globally recognised framework for AI. Reporting by Brenda Goh in Shanghai, Writing by Liz Lee; Editing by Jacqueline Wong Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

China proposes new global AI cooperation organisation

SHANGHAI, July 26 (Reuters) - China said on Saturday it wanted to create an organisation to foster global cooperation on artificial intelligence, positioning itself as an alternative to the U.S. as the two vie for influence over the transformative technology. China wants to help coordinate global efforts to regulate fast-evolving AI technology and share the country's advances, Premier Li Qiang told the annual World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai. President Donald Trump's administration on Wednesday released an AI blueprint aiming to vastly expand U.S. AI exports to allies in a bid to maintain the American edge over China in the critical technology. Li did not name the United States but appeared to refer to Washington's efforts to stymie China's advances in AI, warning that the technology risked becoming the "exclusive game" of a few countries and companies. China wants AI to be openly shared and for all countries and companies to have equal rights to use it, Li said, adding that Beijing was willing to share its development experience and products with other countries, particularly the "Global South". The Global South refers to developing, emerging or lower-income countries, mostly in the southern hemisphere. How to regulate AI's growing risks was another concern, Li said, adding that bottlenecks included an insufficient supply of AI chips and restrictions on talent exchange. "Overall global AI governance is still fragmented. Countries have great differences particularly in terms of areas such as regulatory concepts, institutional rules," he said. "We should strengthen coordination to form a global AI governance framework that has broad consensus as soon as possible." SHANGHAI HEADQUARTERS The three-day Shanghai conference brings together industry leaders and policymakers at a time of escalating technological competition between China and the United States - the world's two largest economies - with AI emerging as a key battleground. Washington has imposed export restrictions on advanced technology to China, including the most high-end AI chips made by companies such as Nvidia (NVDA.O), opens new tab and chipmaking equipment, citing concerns that the technology could enhance China's military capabilities. Despite these restrictions, China has continued making AI breakthroughs that have drawn close scrutiny from U.S. officials. China's Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu told a roundtable of representatives from over 30 countries, including Russia, South Africa, Qatar, South Korea and Germany, that China wanted the organisation to promote pragmatic cooperation in AI and was considering putting its headquarters in Shanghai. The foreign ministry released online an action plan for global AI governance, inviting governments, international organisations, enterprises and research institutions to work together and promote international exchanges including through a cross-border open source community. The government-sponsored AI conference typically attracts major industry players, government officials, researchers and investors. Saturday's speakers included Anne Bouverot, the French president's special envoy for AI, computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton, known as "the Godfather of AI", and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. Tesla (TSLA.O), opens new tab CEO Elon Musk, who has in past years regularly appeared at the opening ceremony in person or by video, did not speak this year. Besides forums, the conference features exhibitions where companies demonstrate their latest innovations. This year, more than 800 companies are participating, showcasing more than 3,000 high-tech products, 40 large language models, 50 AI-powered devices and 60 intelligent robots, according to organisers. The exhibition features predominantly Chinese companies, including tech giants Huawei and Alibaba (9988.HK), opens new tab and startups such as humanoid robot maker Unitree. Western participants include Tesla, Alphabet (GOOGL.O), opens new tab and Amazon (AMZN.O), opens new tab. Reporting by Brenda Goh; Writing by Liz Lee; Editing by Jacqueline Wong, William Mallard and Tom Hogue Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab * Suggested Topics: * Artificial Intelligence Brenda Goh Thomson Reuters Brenda Goh is Reuters' Shanghai bureau chief and oversees coverage of corporates in China. Brenda joined Reuters as a trainee in London in 2010 and has reported stories from over a dozen countries.

China calls for the creation of a global AI organization

China wants to work with other countries and has laid out its plans for the global governance of artificial intelligence at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai. Li Qiang, the country's premier, warned about "technological monopolies" and said that AI could become "an exclusive game for a few countries and companies." As such, he proposed the creation of a "world AI cooperation organization" during the event. Li didn't specifically mention the United States when he talked about monopolies, but the US restricts AI chip exports to his country. NVIDIA had to develop chips that are only meant for China and conform to export rules so it wouldn't lose the Chinese market completely. Meanwhile, Chinese companies like Huawei are developing their own AI systems to make up for China's lack of access to more advanced AI chips from American firms. Li also made the statement a few days after the Trump administration revealed its AI Action Plan, which seeks to limit state regulation of AI companies and which aims to ensure that the US can beat China in the AI race. The Chinese premier said his country would "actively promote" the development of open source artificial intelligence and that China is "willing to provide more Chinese solutions to the international community" when it comes to AI. He also said that his country was eager to share AI technologies with developing countries in the global south. "Currently, overall global AI governance is still fragmented. Countries have great differences, particularly in terms of areas such as regulatory concepts [and] institutional rules," Li said. "We should strengthen coordination to form a global AI governance framework that has broad consensus as soon as possible."

China calls for global AI cooperation days after Trump administration unveils low-regulation strategy

Chinese premier warns at global conference AI development must be weighed against security risks, urges 'further consensus from the entire society' Chinese premier Li Qiang has proposed establishing an organisation to foster global cooperation on artificial intelligence, calling on countries to coordinate on the development and security of the fast-evolving technology, days after the US unveiled plans to deregulate the industry. Speaking at the annual World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, Li called AI a new engine for growth, adding that governance is fragmented and emphasising the need for more coordination between countries to form a globally recognised framework for AI. Li warned Saturday that artificial intelligence development must be weighed against the security risks, saying global consensus was urgently needed. His remarks came just days after US president Donald Trump unveiled an aggressive low-regulation strategy aimed at cementing US dominance in the fast-moving field. One executive order targeted what the White House described as "woke" artificial intelligence models. Opening the World AI Conference, Li emphasised the need for governance and open-source development. "The risks and challenges brought by artificial intelligence have drawn widespread attention ... How to find a balance between development and security urgently requires further consensus from the entire society," the premier said. Li said China would "actively promote" the development of open-source AI, adding Beijing was willing to share advances with other countries, particularly developing ones in the global south. The three-day event brings together industry leaders and policymakers at a time of escalating technological competition between China and the United States - the world's two largest economies - with AI emerging as a key battleground. Washington has imposed export restrictions on advanced technology to China, including the most high-end AI chips made by companies such as Nvidia and chipmaking equipment, citing concerns that the technology could enhance China's military capabilities. Li did not name the United States in his speech, but he warned that AI could become an "exclusive game" for a few countries and companies, and said challenges included an insufficient supply of AI chips and restrictions on talent exchange. At a time when AI is being integrated across virtually all industries, its uses have raised major ethical questions, from the spread of misinformation to its impact on employment, or the potential loss of technological control. Earlier this week, news companies were warned of a "devastating impact" on online audiences as search results are replaced by AI summaries, after a new study claimed it caused up to 80% fewer clickthroughs. The World AI Conference is an annual government-sponsored event in Shanghai that typically attracts major industry players, government officials, researchers and investors. Saturday's speakers included Anne Bouverot, the French president's special envoy for AI, computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton, known as "the godfather of AI", and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has in past years regularly appeared at the opening ceremony both in-person and via video, did not speak this year. The exhibition features predominantly Chinese companies, including tech companies Huawei and Alibaba and startups such as humanoid robot maker Unitree. Western participants include Tesla, Alphabet and Amazon.

China urges global consensus on balancing AI development, security

China's Premier Li Qiang warned Saturday that artificial intelligence development must be weighed against the security risks, saying global consensus was urgently needed even as the tech race between Beijing and Washington shows no sign of abating. His remarks came just days after US President Donald Trump unveiled an aggressive low-regulation strategy aimed at cementing US dominance in the fast-moving field, promising to "remove red tape and onerous regulation" that could hinder private sector AI development. Opening the World AI Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai on Saturday, Li emphasized the need for governance and open-source development, announcing the establishment of a Chinese-led body for international AI cooperation. "The risks and challenges brought by artificial intelligence have drawn widespread attention... How to find a balance between development and security urgently requires further consensus from the entire society," the premier said. Li said China would "actively promote" the development of open-source AI, adding Beijing was willing to share advances with other countries, particularly developing ones. "If we engage in technological monopolies, controls and blockage, artificial intelligence will become the preserve of a few countries and a few enterprises," he said. "Only by adhering to openness, sharing and fairness in access to intelligence can more countries and groups benefit from (AI)." The premier highlighted "insufficient supply of computing power and chips" as a bottleneck. Washington has expanded its efforts in recent years to curb exports of state-of-the-art chips to China, concerned that these can be used to advance Beijing's military systems and erode US tech dominance. For its part, China has made AI a pillar of its plans for technological self-reliance, with the government pledging a raft of measures to boost the sector. In January, Chinese startup DeepSeek unveiled an AI model that performed as well as top US systems despite using less powerful chips. 'Pet tiger cub' At a time when AI is being integrated across virtually all industries, its uses have raised major ethical questions, from the spread of misinformation to its impact on employment, or the potential loss of technological control. In a speech at WAIC on Saturday, Nobel Prize-winning physicist Geoffrey Hinton compared the situation to keeping "a very cute tiger cub as a pet". "To survive", he said, you need to ensure you can train it not to kill you when it grows up. In a video message played at the WAIC opening ceremony, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said AI governance would be "a defining test of international cooperation". The ceremony also saw the French president's AI envoy, Anne Bouverot, underscore the "an urgent need" for global action. At an AI summit in Paris in February, 58 countries including China, France and India -- as well as the European Union and African Union Commission -- called for enhanced coordination on AI governance. But the United States warned against "excessive regulation", and alongside the United Kingdom, refused to sign the summit's appeal for an "open", "inclusive" and "ethical" AI.

'Marathon at F1 speed': China bids to lap US in AI leadership

Beyond dancing robots and eager-to-help digital avatars, Shanghai's World AI Conference saw China stake its claim to global artificial intelligence leadership and frame itself as a clear alternative to the United States. Assumptions that the US was far ahead in the fast-moving field were upended this year when Chinese start-up DeepSeek unveiled a chatbot that matched top American systems for an apparent fraction of the cost. With AI now at the forefront of the superpowers' tech race, the World AI Conference (WAIC) that ended Tuesday saw China set out its case to take charge on shaping its global governance too. China, the United States and other major economies are "engaged in a marathon at Formula One speed," said Steven Hai, assistant professor of tech innovation at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University. "Which country will attain the upper hand can only be assessed dynamically over the course of development." China and the United States dominate the AI sector -- only 10 to 15% of models developed in recent years were built without either's participation, according to Epoch AI, a non-profit research institute. While US companies like Google and OpenAI are still industry-leading, the institute labeled 78% of Chinese models "state-of-the-art" compared to 70% of models built with American participation. Beijing's stated aim is to become the world's leading AI "innovation center" by 2030. "Now China is neck-and-neck with the United States in terms of core tech, that play (for global leadership) is more relevant than ever," said Tom Nunlist, associate director for tech and data policy at Trivium China. "With a solid AI offering and the US turning inward, the question is will Beijing's vision gain greater global traction?" In May, Microsoft's Brad Smith told the US Senate that "the number-one factor" in the tech race "is whose technology is most broadly adopted in the rest of the world". 'Sovereign AI' China's offer is technical and economical. "One of the biggest differences (with the US sector) is that most of the leading models in China... are open-weight and open-source," former Google CEO Eric Schmidt told an audience at WAIC. That means they can be adapted by other countries to fit their own needs, said George Chen, partner at Washington-based policy consultancy The Asia Group. "We already see some countries like Mongolia, Kazakhstan, even Pakistan are trying to adopt the DeepSeek model to build their own," he said. "China has a chance to win in the aspect of sovereign AI to export its model to those countries." The comparative low cost of Chinese technology -- software but also hardware, for example through firms like Huawei -- will be a big factor, especially for developing countries, Chen added. On Monday another Chinese start-up, Zhipu, announced its new AI model -- also open-source -- would cost less than DeepSeek to use. In June, OpenAI accused Zhipu of having close ties with Chinese authorities and noted it was working with governments and state-owned firms across Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa. "The goal is to lock Chinese systems and standards into emerging markets before US or European rivals can," it said. Washington has moved to protect its lead in AI, expanding efforts to curb exports of state-of-the-art chips to China in recent years. "While limiting China's share of the global AI hardware market, (these measures) have accelerated indigenous innovation and led Chinese firms to exploit regulatory loopholes," said assistant professor Hai, referring to "rife" smuggling and circumvention. Issues of trust? Other challenges to homegrown firms include the closed nature of the Chinese internet, and "general issues of trust when it comes to using Chinese tech," Trivium's Nunlist said. At WAIC, China sought to present itself as a responsible power. Premier Li Qiang emphasized the risks of AI and pledged to share technology with other nations, especially developing ones. His remarks contrasted sharply with US President Donald Trump's aggressive low-regulation "AI Action Plan" launched just days before and explicitly aimed at cementing US dominance in the field. China released its own action plan at WAIC, following a meeting attended by delegates from dozens of countries. Li also announced the establishment of a China-led organization for international AI cooperation. However, China's foreign ministry did not respond to a request from AFP for details on the set-up of the organization -- including any international participants -- and several foreign delegates said they had not been briefed on the announcement beforehand. Analyst Grace Shao wrote it was clear AI was still in its "infancy stage". "You can sense that vibrant energy but also the immaturity of the space," she wrote on Substack. "There just shouldn't be a definitive conclusion on who is 'winning' yet."

China urges global consensus on balancing AI development, security

Shanghai (AFP) - China's Premier Li Qiang warned Saturday that artificial intelligence development must be weighed against the security risks, saying global consensus was urgently needed even as the tech race between Beijing and Washington shows no sign of abating. His remarks came just days after US President Donald Trump unveiled an aggressive low-regulation strategy aimed at cementing US dominance in the fast-moving field, promising to "remove red tape and onerous regulation" that could hinder private sector AI development. Opening the World AI Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai on Saturday, Li emphasised the need for governance and open-source development, announcing the establishment of a Chinese-led body for international AI cooperation. "The risks and challenges brought by artificial intelligence have drawn widespread attention... How to find a balance between development and security urgently requires further consensus from the entire society," the premier said. Li said China would "actively promote" the development of open-source AI, adding Beijing was willing to share advances with other countries, particularly developing ones. "If we engage in technological monopolies, controls and blockage, artificial intelligence will become the preserve of a few countries and a few enterprises," he said. "Only by adhering to openness, sharing and fairness in access to intelligence can more countries and groups benefit from (AI)." The premier highlighted "insufficient supply of computing power and chips" as a bottleneck. Washington has expanded its efforts in recent years to curb exports of state-of-the-art chips to China, concerned that these can be used to advance Beijing's military systems and erode US tech dominance. For its part, China has made AI a pillar of its plans for technological self-reliance, with the government pledging a raft of measures to boost the sector. In January, Chinese startup DeepSeek unveiled an AI model that performed as well as top US systems despite using less powerful chips. 'Pet tiger cub' At a time when AI is being integrated across virtually all industries, its uses have raised major ethical questions, from the spread of misinformation to its impact on employment, or the potential loss of technological control. In a speech at WAIC on Saturday, Nobel Prize-winning physicist Geoffrey Hinton compared the situation to keeping "a very cute tiger cub as a pet". "To survive", he said, you need to ensure you can train it not to kill you when it grows up. In a video message played at the WAIC opening ceremony, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said AI governance would be "a defining test of international cooperation". The ceremony also saw the French president's AI envoy, Anne Bouverot, underscore the "an urgent need" for global action. At an AI summit in Paris in February, 58 countries including China, France and India -- as well as the European Union and African Union Commission -- called for enhanced coordination on AI governance. But the United States warned against "excessive regulation", and alongside the United Kingdom, refused to sign the summit's appeal for an "open", "inclusive" and "ethical" AI.

'Marathon at F1 speed': China bids to lap US in AI leadership

Shanghai (AFP) - Beyond dancing robots and eager-to-help digital avatars, Shanghai's World AI Conference saw China stake its claim to global artificial intelligence leadership and frame itself as a clear alternative to the United States. Assumptions that the US was far ahead in the fast-moving field were upended this year when Chinese start-up DeepSeek unveiled a chatbot that matched top American systems for an apparent fraction of the cost. With AI now at the forefront of the superpowers' tech race, the World AI Conference (WAIC) that ended Tuesday saw China set out its case to take charge on shaping its global governance too. China, the United States and other major economies are "engaged in a marathon at Formula  One speed", said Steven Hai, assistant professor of tech innovation at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University. "Which country will attain the upper hand can only be assessed dynamically over the course of development." China and the United States dominate the AI sector -- only 10 to 15 percent of models developed in recent years were built without either's participation, according to Epoch AI, a non-profit research institute. While US companies like Google and OpenAI are still industry-leading, the institute labelled 78 percent of Chinese models "state-of-the-art" compared to 70 percent of models built with American participation. Beijing's stated aim is to become the world's leading AI "innovation centre" by 2030. "Now China is neck-and-neck with the United States in terms of core tech, that play (for global leadership) is more relevant than ever," said Tom Nunlist, associate director for tech and data policy at Trivium China. "With a solid AI offering and the US turning inward, the question is will Beijing's vision gain greater global traction?" In May, Microsoft's Brad Smith told the US Senate that "the number-one factor" in the tech race "is whose technology is most broadly adopted in the rest of the world". 'Sovereign AI' China's offer is technical and economical. "One of the biggest differences (with the US sector) is that most of the leading models in China... are open-weight and open-source," former Google CEO Eric Schmidt told an audience at WAIC. That means they can be adapted by other countries to fit their own needs, said George Chen, partner at Washington-based policy consultancy The Asia Group. "We already see some countries like Mongolia, Kazakhstan, even Pakistan are trying to adopt the DeepSeek model to build their own," he said. "China has a chance to win in the aspect of sovereign AI to export its model to those countries." The comparative low cost of Chinese technology -- software but also hardware, for example through firms like Huawei -- will be a big factor, especially for developing countries, Chen added. On Monday another Chinese start-up, Zhipu, announced its new AI model -- also open-source -- would cost less than DeepSeek to use. In June, OpenAI accused Zhipu of having close ties with Chinese authorities and noted it was working with governments and state-owned firms across Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa. "The goal is to lock Chinese systems and standards into emerging markets before US or European rivals can," it said. Washington has moved to protect its lead in AI, expanding efforts to curb exports of state-of-the-art chips to China in recent years. "While limiting China's share of the global AI hardware market, (these measures) have accelerated indigenous innovation and led Chinese firms to exploit regulatory loopholes," said assistant professor Hai, referring to "rife" smuggling and circumvention. Issues of trust? Other challenges to homegrown firms include the closed nature of the Chinese internet, and "general issues of trust when it comes to using Chinese tech", Trivium's Nunlist said. At WAIC, China sought to present itself as a responsible power. Premier Li Qiang emphasised the risks of AI and pledged to share technology with other nations, especially developing ones. His remarks contrasted sharply with US President Donald Trump's aggressive low-regulation "AI Action Plan" launched just days before and explicitly aimed at cementing US dominance in the field. China released its own action plan at WAIC, following a meeting attended by delegates from dozens of countries. Li also announced the establishment of a China-led organisation for international AI cooperation. However, China's foreign ministry did not respond to a request from AFP for details on the set-up of the organisation -- including any international participants -- and several foreign delegates said they had not been briefed on the announcement beforehand. Analyst Grace Shao wrote it was clear AI was still in its "infancy stage". "You can sense that vibrant energy but also the immaturity of the space," she wrote on Substack. "There just shouldn't be a definitive conclusion on who is 'winning' yet."

China's Premier Li proposes global AI cooperation organisation - The Economic Times

Speaking at the opening of the annual World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, Li called AI a new engine for growth but said governance is fragmented and emphasised the need to step up coordination between countries to form a globally recognised framework for AI.Chinese Premier Li Qiang proposed on Saturday establishing a world artificial intelligence cooperation organisation, calling on countries to coordinate development and security of the fast-evolving technology. Speaking at the opening of the annual World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, Li called AI a new engine for growth but said governance is fragmented and emphasised the need to step up coordination between countries to form a globally recognised framework for AI. The three-day event brings together industry leaders and policymakers at a time of escalating technological competition between China and the U.S., with AI emerging as a key battleground between the world's two largest economies. Washington has imposed export restrictions on advanced technology to China, including AI chips and chipmaking equipment, citing concerns the technology could enhance China's military capabilities. Despite these restrictions, China has continued making AI breakthroughs that have drawn close scrutiny from U.S. officials. Li said AI technologies were rapidly evolving but that there were constraints, such as the lack of high-end computing chips and restrictions on talent exchange. He called for breaking through bottlenecks for open and coordinated innovation.

China proposes new global AI cooperation organisation - The Economic Times

China said on Saturday it wanted to create an organisation to foster global cooperation on artificial intelligence, positioning itself as an alternative to the U.S. as the two vie for influence over the transformative technology. China wants to help coordinate global efforts to regulate fast-evolving AI technology and share the country's advances, Premier Li Qiang told the annual World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai. President Donald Trump's administration on Wednesday released an AI blueprint aiming to vastly expand U.S. AI exports to allies in a bid to maintain the American edge over China in the critical technology. Li did not name the United States but appeared to refer to Washington's efforts to stymie China's advances in AI, warning that the technology risked becoming the "exclusive game" of a few countries and companies. China wants AI to be openly shared and for all countries and companies to have equal rights to use it, Li said, adding that Beijing was willing to share its development experience and products with other countries, particularly the "Global South". The Global South refers to developing, emerging or lower-income countries, mostly in the southern hemisphere. How to regulate AI's growing risks was another concern, Li said, adding that bottlenecks included an insufficient supply of AI chips and restrictions on talent exchange. "Overall global AI governance is still fragmented. Countries have great differences particularly in terms of areas such as regulatory concepts, institutional rules," he said. "We should strengthen coordination to form a global AI governance framework that has broad consensus as soon as possible." Shanghai HQ The three-day Shanghai conference brings together industry leaders and policymakers at a time of escalating technological competition between China and the United States - the world's two largest economies - with AI emerging as a key battleground. Washington has imposed export restrictions on advanced technology to China, including the most high-end AI chips made by companies such as Nvidia and chipmaking equipment, citing concerns that the technology could enhance China's military capabilities. Despite these restrictions, China has continued making AI breakthroughs that have drawn close scrutiny from U.S. officials. China's Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu told a roundtable of representatives from over 30 countries, including Russia, South Africa, Qatar, South Korea and Germany, that China wanted the organisation to promote pragmatic cooperation in AI and was considering putting its headquarters in Shanghai. The foreign ministry released online an action plan for global AI governance, inviting governments, international organisations, enterprises and research institutions to work together and promote international exchanges including through a cross-border open source community. The government-sponsored AI conference typically attracts major industry players, government officials, researchers and investors. Saturday's speakers included Anne Bouverot, the French president's special envoy for AI, computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton, known as "the Godfather of AI", and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has in past years regularly appeared at the opening ceremony in person or by video, did not speak this year. Besides forums, the conference features exhibitions where companies demonstrate their latest innovations. This year, more than 800 companies are participating, showcasing more than 3,000 high-tech products, 40 large language models, 50 AI-powered devices and 60 intelligent robots, according to organisers. The exhibition features predominantly Chinese companies, including tech giants Huawei and Alibaba and startups such as humanoid robot maker Unitree. Western participants include Tesla, Alphabet and Amazon.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang takes aim at AI 'monopoly' as U.S. effort quickens

China will spearhead the creation of an international organization to jointly develop AI, the country's premier said, seeking to ensure that world-changing technology doesn't become the province of just a few nations or companies. Artificial intelligence harbors risks from widespread job losses to economic upheaval that require nations to work together to address, Premier Li Qiang told the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on Saturday. That means more international exchanges, Beijing's No. 2 official said during China's most important annual technology summit. Li didn't name any countries in his short address to kick off the event. But Chinese executives and officials have taken aim at Washington's efforts to curtail the Asian country's tech sector, including by slapping restrictions on the export of Nvidia chips crucial to AI development. On Saturday, Li acknowledged a shortage of semiconductors was a major bottleneck, but reaffirmed President Xi Jinping's call to establish policies to propel Beijing's ambitions. The government will now help create a body -- loosely translated as the World AI Cooperation Organization -- through which countries can share insights and talent.

China's Premier Li Qiang Calls for Global AI Cooperation at WAIC 2025

Li emphasized that AI development should prioritize people and benefit humanity as a whole. He emphasized the critical need to establish global norms and standards in this field. Additionally, the current Premier of China emphasized the need to balance innovation with security, suggesting that the world should cooperate rather than confront when addressing AI-related issues. The motion was made as countries around the world are eager to regulate and harness artificial intelligence. China aims to establish itself as a key player in , alongside United States and European Union. Meanwhile, growing global concerns about data privacy, as well as warnings about misinformation and bias perpetuated by AI, continue to increase. Beijing's desire to take center stage in shaping the AI agenda in the international scenario is quite clear. This agency would provide an environment for cooperation in research, safety standards, ethics, and applications of AI technologies. While Li Qiang did not elaborate on the proposed body's structure or governance, he mentioned that it would be open, inclusive, and multilateral in nature. His proposal also seems to be a broad criticism of initiatives led by Western countries regarding artificial intelligence. United States, United Kingdom, and European Union have already established frameworks for AI safety and governance. However, these initiatives and summits often restrict or exclude Chinese participation. Premier Li's speech emphasizes the importance of equal standing and mutual respect among nations. China has been making headway with its own set of laws for AI. In 2023, it enacted the world's first nationwide set of generative . The country has undergone legitimacy checks on deepfakes, algorithmic recommendations, and data usage. Analysts consider Li's proposal to be both a diplomatic overture and a strategic bid to influence the global rules before they are defined elsewhere. Some of the industry leaders present at the WAIC welcomed the idea of stronger international cooperation. Executives from Chinese tech giants , Tencent, Baidu, and others expressed support for finding common ground in response to Li's statement. A Baidu spokesperson said, AI is too important to be left fragmented.