China’s ninth annual World AI Conference (WAIC) was held from July 17–20 in Shanghai. Escalating points of tension in the U.S.-China AI competition, including tit-for-tat cybersecurity measures aimed at frontier models and U.S. labs’ reiterated emphasis of the risks posed by China’s AI ascendancy, meant this year’s gathering would be a crucial venue for Beijing to pitch an alternate model for global AI development. Top Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s decision to give the WAIC’s keynote address further emphasized the Chinese government’s focus on the issue. DigiChina invited a group of specialists to weigh in on the implications of Xi's speech, a new initiative released by the Cyberspace Administration of China and the National Development and Reform Commission, the establishment of the Shanghai-based World AI Cooperation Organization, and the seemingly coordinated release of Moonshot AI's Kimi K3 model.

Full commentary: DigiChina.