On the morning of today (June
20), the Information Office of Shanghai Municipality held a press briefing. Chen
Jie, Vice Mayor of Shanghai, introduced the progress of the preparations for the
2024 World AI Conference & High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance (WAIC
2024). Sun Xiaobo, a director with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Liu Bochao,
a deputy director with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Wu
Jincheng, Deputy Secretary-General of the Shanghai Municipal Government and chief
of Pudong New Area, Zhang Ying, Director of the Shanghai Municipal Commission
of Economy and Informatization, Wang Hua, acting chief of Xuhui District, and Li
Dong, President of Donghao Lansheng Group attended the press briefing and
answered questions from reporters.

Shanghai is capitalizing
on the development of next-generation artificial intelligence to drive new quality
productive forces and accelerate the creation of a world-class high-end
industrial cluster. The first phase of the AI “Shanghai Plan” has been fully
implemented, establishing a comprehensive industrial chain that spans from
software models to intelligent terminals and from basic research to application
innovation.

First, leading
enterprises have clustered and developed, significantly expanding the scale of
innovation. The number of enterprises above designated size increased from 183
in 2018 to 348 in 2023, with the industry’s scale growing from 134 billion yuan
to over 380 billion yuan, ranking among the top in the country. The nation’s
first foundation model innovation community, SMC, has been established,
creating five professional service platforms and attracting over 80 foundation model
enterprises.

Second, breakthroughs in
key areas have led to continuous innovation results. Currently, 34 foundation models
have been registered in the city, with applications spanning vertical fields
such as manufacturing, finance, and embodied intelligent robots. In the realm
of humanoid robots, several general humanoid robot prototypes have been
released, achieving bipedal walking that can avoid obstacles. Additionally, a
420 billion-Token corpus has been open-sourced, playing a leading role in
building a full-stack independent innovation ecosystem for artificial
intelligence.

Third, industrial funds
drive investment, and innovative talent continues to gather. The Shanghai
Artificial Intelligence Industry Investment Fund has raised 3.1 billion yuan,
with the parent fund investing in 12 sub-funds including those by Sequoia Capital
and MiraclePlus, leveraging a total investment scale of 57.2 billion yuan. A
multi-level talent pool has been formed, attracting top experts and young
talent to Shanghai. The talent pool now comprises 250,000 individuals, nearly
one-third of the national total.

Fourth, pilot
initiatives in security have been implemented on a trial basis and innovation
governance has been continuously improved. The Regulations for the Promotion of
the Development of the Artificial Intelligence Industry in Shanghai
Municipality, the first provincial regulations on AI in the country, have been
issued and implemented. The regulations explore the construction of a
systematic governance framework to balance AI development and security.
Shanghai has also piloted AI standards, issuing guiding opinions on building an
AI standardization system and striving to establish a high-level “Shanghai
Standard” for artificial intelligence.

As an important showcase
for cutting-edge AI technologies in China and globally, Shanghai has
successfully hosted six consecutive WAICs. Party and state leaders have placed
high hopes on the WAIC. In his congratulatory letter to the inaugural
conference in 2018, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that China is
willing to work with all countries to promote development, protect security,
and share achievements in the field of artificial intelligence. During his
visit to France on May 7 this year, a joint statement on AI and global
governance was issued by the two countries. On January 16, Premier Li Qiang
introduced the conference at the Davos Forum, inviting global experts to attend
in Shanghai. The CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and Shanghai Municipal Government
highly prioritize the preparations for the conference, conducting special
research and making specific arrangement on multiple occasions. All tasks are
progressing smoothly and on schedule.

This
conference is co-hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National
Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of
Science and Technology, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology,
the Cyberspace Administration of China, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the
China Association for Science and Technology, and the Shanghai Municipal
Government. The forum will be held from July 4 to 6, with the exhibition
running from July 4 to 7. Focusing on the theme “Governing AI for Good and for
All,” the conference will feature four main sections, including the conference and
forum, exhibition and display, contest and awards, and intelligent experience. Leading
scientists, entrepreneurs, and investors from around the world will be invited
to Shanghai to discuss cutting-edge technologies, industry trends, and
effective governance in AI. Preparations for the conference are now in the
final stages.

First, the
conference will feature hundreds of forums with a star-studded lineup. The conference
will adopt a new “1+3+10+X” format, including an opening ceremony and plenary
session, three main forums on global governance, industrial development, and
scientific frontiers, 10 themed forums, and various industry forums. These will
cover key topics such as AI ethical governance, foundation models, embodied
intelligence, investment and financing, and education and talent, emphasizing
AI for good, international cooperation, and shared governance. So far, nine
winners of the Turing Award, Fields Medal, and Nobel Prize, along with 88
domestic and international academicians, have confirmed their participation.
Over 200 distinguished guests will also speak at the conference.

Second, the
exhibition promises to be exceptional. Spanning over 52,000 square meters, it
will spotlight core technologies, intelligent terminals, and application
empowerment. Key areas like foundation models, computing power, robotics, and
autonomous driving will be featured prominently, showcasing numerous innovative
applications of “artificial intelligence +”. The exhibition will debut many
eagerly awaited innovative products. Currently, over 500 companies including
Tesla, Microsoft, and Schneider have confirmed their participation, with more
than 50% coming from outside the city and outside the country. The total number
of exhibits has surpassed 1,500.

Third, the
“three contests and three awards” take center stage. This year’s “SAIL Award”
received over 200 projects from both domestic and international participants,
marking a record high for international submissions. The WAIC Youth Outstanding
Paper Award gathered 159 exceptional papers worldwide, with 10% coming from
international contributors. The “Yunfan Award” will honor courageous young
talent driving innovation in artificial intelligence. Moreover, the fourth
Global Applied Algorithm Model Exemplar Competition organized by BPAA, the
Youth AI Innovation Contest, and the InternLM Foundation Model Challenge
constitute three major flagship events. Together, they aim to cultivate a
high-quality talent ecosystem for the AI industry.

Fourth, the intelligent
experience is being completely revamped. The application focuses on
cutting-edge AI technologies such as humanoid robotics, virtual-real
integration, autonomous driving, drones, and brain-computer interfaces,
offering a new feast of intelligent technology. The AI Agent will serve as a
smart assistant for attendees, while Model Power Wonderland will showcase the
enchanting allure of artificial intelligence and generalized computing. The
robotics matrix will engage with the audience interactively.