Xi calls AI a ‘symphony,’ not a ‘solo’ at Shanghai conference

Chinese President Xi Jinping made his first-ever appearance at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on Thursday, delivering a keynote address that called for international AI cooperation and warned against any single country dominating the technology.

"AI development should not be a solo performance by a single country, but a symphony of international cooperation," Xi said at the opening of the conference, which runs from July 17 to 20. He also urged nations to "jointly oppose overstretching the national security concept in the field of AI or placing one country's security over that of others," in what observers widely interpreted as a rebuke of U.S. export controls on advanced semiconductors to China.asiae+1

China Positions Itself as Champion of Open AI

Xi's unprecedented attendance at the annual event, which has been held since 2018, underscored the priority Beijing places on AI to drive economic growth and global rule-setting. The speech promoted open-source AI models as a pathway for developing nations to access advanced technology, and announced that China will provide developing countries with 5,000 AI training opportunities over the next five years.scmp+1

The address arrived alongside the release of an "Action Plan on Cooperation in AI Development," a framework promoting inclusive access to computing power and shared open-source ecosystems, as well as a "China Wisdom for the World" case collection showcasing cooperative AI projects across more than 20 countries.georgechen.substack

WAICO Founded and Huawei Showcases Hardware

The conference was preceded by a landmark signing ceremony on Wednesday, in which 29 countries — including Kazakhstan, Laos, Pakistan, Russia, and Indonesia — signed an agreement establishing the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization. WAICO will operate as an independent intergovernmental body headquartered in Shanghai, aimed at promoting international cooperation and global governance on AI.newsaf.cgtn+1

Huawei also used the event to showcase its Atlas 950 SuperPoD AI computing cluster, which scales up to 8,192 Ascend AI processor cards and is designed for large-scale training and inference. Reuters reported that the system represents Beijing's drive to build a domestic alternative to technology from Nvidia ↘ 0.07%.reuters+1

The conference takes place against the backdrop of intensifying U.S.-China competition over AI supremacy, with the Trump administration continuing to use semiconductor export controls as a pressure point against Beijing.asiae