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Opinion
A new global AI body gives Beijing the platform to push for affordable access and technological autonomy, framing AI as a public good
3-MIN READ3-MIN Gerui Wang is an assistant professor at Lingnan University, and the author of Sustaining Landscapes: Governance and Ecology in Chinese Visual Culture.
The ninth
World Artificial Intelligence Conferencemarked a shift from the technology-focused exhibitions of previous editions to a high-profile international gathering of government officials, world leaders, scientists and entrepreneurs. President Xi Jinping deliveredan opening speechto articulate China’s role in governing AI.While Silicon Valley, Washington and Brussels debate national security, frontier capabilities and corporate profitability, China is pushing AI to generate social good. The newly released open-source model at the conference,
Kimi K3, reportedly rivals Anthropic’s Claude Fable 5 model as China bets on a future of fair and inclusive AI.Advancements in data centres and computing systems highlight the sustained momentum of AI development in China. In addition, the conference featured more than 1,100 companies displaying humanoid robots, autonomous vehicles, AI chips,
AI glassesand other applications spanning a wide variety of fields. Huawei showcased the latest Atlas 950 SuperPoD supernode, a technology that links many AI chips into a single computing pool. The Atlas reportedly has 6.7 times more computing power than the Nvidia NVL144.Aware of AI’s potential to disproportionately benefit
rich countries and the wealthy, China aims to address developing countries’ concerns. Can poorer countries build their own computing power? Who will train AI engineers? Who will control local data? Part of China’s proposed solution involves establishing the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation, a body headquartered in Shanghai with the initial participation of 29 countries.The public-facing orientation of China’s AI ecosystem distinguishes it from American AI companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic, which are focused primarily on subscription-based chatbots, AI agents, commercial adoption and enterprise software. Chinese companies increasingly develop systems
embedded in systems and servicesthat benefit the people.In China, both public and private industries deploy AI models to maximise the convenience of public life. This emphasis on
the public goodstrengthens Chinese AI models’ global appeal; technology is framed as a resource for the public to thrive rather than as a tool of wealth concentration.Advertisement
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