Twenty-nine countries signed an agreement in Shanghai on Thursday to establish the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO), Qazinform News Agency cites Xinhua.
Under the agreement, WAICO will operate as an independent intergovernmental international organization with its headquarters in Shanghai.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, signed the agreement on behalf of China.
Representatives from the 29 founding member states, including Kazakhstan, Laos, Pakistan, Russia, and Indonesia, also signed the document. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres attended the signing ceremony alongside representatives from participating countries and international organizations.
According to the agreement, the organization will uphold the principles of the United Nations Charter, promote broad consultation and shared benefits, and adopt a people-centered approach to AI governance.
WAICO's primary objective is to advance international cooperation and global governance in artificial intelligence while ensuring that AI technologies are developed and used in ways that are safe, fair, and beneficial for all, supporting their responsible and sustainable development worldwide.
Earlier, Qazinform reported President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan had touched upon the opportunities in AgriTech sector, artificial intelligence and food security at the July 16 meeting with executives of China’s high-tech companies in Shanghai.