The World Artificial Intelligence Conference 2026 will open in Shanghai in July. This year's edition of WAIC 2026, together with the High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance, will take place from July 17th to 20th and, according to the organizers, will offer the largest scope in the history of the event.
At a press conference held on Monday, it was announced that this year's conference will reach record levels in several areas. This includes the largest exhibition area, the highest number of world premieres of new products, and the most extensive program of expert forums.
WAIC 2026 will bring together leading experts, technology companies, research institutions, and representatives from industry around the world. The main goal will be to showcase the latest developments in artificial intelligence and to discuss how its global governance should look.
This year, the exhibition area will expand for the first time to over 100,000 square meters. It will be located in four exhibition halls at three locations: Expo, Zhangjiang, and West Bund. More than a thousand exhibitors will present over three thousand top-quality exhibits. Over 300 new products based on artificial intelligence will have their world premiere at the conference.
The program will also include more than 140 expert forums, which will be attended by over 1,400 experts from China and abroad. Compared to previous editions, a new academic program will be added, including the first international high-level scientific conference focused on artificial intelligence.
A special zone for competitions among young innovators will also be introduced. This zone aims to connect academia, industry, startups, and investors, and provide a space for collaboration between young developers, experts, and businesses.
This year's edition will focus primarily on two areas: computing infrastructure for artificial intelligence and so-called embodied AI. More than 200 high-quality companies will be presented in each of these areas. Technology companies, key players in industrial chains, central state-owned enterprises, and foreign companies, together with their partners, will showcase new technologies and practical applications of artificial intelligence in various industries.
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