en.Wedoany.com Reported - On July 9, China responded to global cooperation on artificial intelligence and capacity building for Global South countries, proposing to leverage the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance as an opportunity to drive AI technological innovation, empower outcomes, and foster an inclusive ecosystem. The conference will be held in Shanghai under the theme "Intelligent Partners, Creating the Future Together."
One key focus of global AI cooperation is lowering the barrier for developing countries to use AI. Open-source models open up model weights, development frameworks, deployment tools, and application interfaces to more developers, enabling countries and enterprises with limited computing resources and smaller technical teams to perform localized fine-tuning and industry adaptation on existing models. For Global South countries, the value of open-source models extends beyond "free use" to include secondary development capabilities in scenarios such as language adaptation, agriculture, healthcare, education, public services, governance, and digitalization of small and medium-sized enterprises. If AI technology remains concentrated in the hands of a few major powers and platforms, the intelligence gap will widen as model capabilities improve; the open-source ecosystem provides a low-cost entry point for more countries to access intelligent tools.
The 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance will serve as an important platform for exchange. Representatives from multiple countries and international organizations will discuss topics including cutting-edge technologies, governance rules, capacity building, technology sharing, open-source ecosystems, and the participation of developing countries.
In recent years, China has continuously promoted dialogue on global AI governance, including proposing the "Global AI Governance Initiative," advancing the implementation of the "AI Global Governance Action Plan," and leveraging the World Artificial Intelligence Conference to build an international exchange and cooperation platform. The 2026 conference will feature a High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance, indicating that the agenda has extended beyond industry exhibitions and technology releases to further encompass governance frameworks, international collaboration, capacity building, and inclusive applications. For Global South countries, key issues center on computing power, data, talent, model accessibility, digital infrastructure, and local industry scenarios. Model releases alone cannot solve all implementation challenges; cross-border training, application solutions, governance rules, and technical service support are also needed.
The Shanghai World Artificial Intelligence Conference has been held for several consecutive years, and this year's conference will continue to serve functions of technical exchange, industrial cooperation, and governance dialogue. According to the conference's official website, the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference will be held from July 17 to 20 under the theme "Intelligent Partners, Creating the Future Together," bringing together global experts, government and business representatives, university scholars, and investors to discuss new opportunities in AI development.
This statement places open-source models, the Global South, AI governance, and the Shanghai conference within the same collaborative framework. On the technology front, open-source models reduce usage costs; on the application front, developing countries benefit equally from the intelligent wave; on the governance front, consensus is built around innovation, safety, fairness, and inclusiveness. The 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance will take up these topics and organize multi-stakeholder dialogues.
