China powers the future of global AI innovation
Shanghai’s 2024 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) highlighted major technological advancements and heightened global competition in AI development and governance. Despite challenges posed by US-led sanctions, China demonstrated resilience and innovation, reinforcing its role as a major player in the future of AI. The Shanghai Declaration, adopted during the event, also reflects China’s commitment to advancing global AI governance, fostering cooperation and promoting inclusive development. But the predominantly Chinese presence at the conference emphasised that true inclusivity has yet to be realised.
Shanghai, China’s hub of humanoid robotics, garnered global attention by hosting the annual World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) on 4–6 July 2024. Since the inaugural WAIC held in 2018 — just two years after an AI system defeated a Go world champion — China has made remarkable progress in the field.
More than 1300 officials, industry leaders and scientists from 50 countries and regions attended the WAIC, with over 500 companies showcasing their latest AI products. The conference not only showcased the advancements in AI over the past six years but also highlighted the intensified competition in AI development and governance. But the predominantly Chinese lineup included only a handful of global giants like Qualcomm and Tesla. Some researchers from the Global South also participated, though Chinese exhibitors overwhelmingly dominated the event.
Transcending its role as a mere exhibition, the 2024 WAIC marked significant milestones in China’s global AI leadership. It emphasised China’s commitment to fostering an inclusive, global AI development ecosystem. The Chinese government, which funded the conference, launched the Global Alliance on AI for Industry and Manufacturing Centre of Excellence in partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization. This initiative aims to address the North–South divide in AI development by transferring best practices and technologies to the Global South. But the Global South’s bleak participation at the conference conveyed a less inclusive and more China-centric message.
The High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance, held alongside the WAIC and themed ‘Governing AI for Good and for All’, also resulted in the adoption of the Shanghai Declaration. China pledged to support the orderly and safe development of AI, promote North–South and South–South cooperation, create equitable opportunities and rules and transfer relevant technology standards. Days before the conference, China’s proposals at the UN garnered support from 140 countries. By emphasising global AI governance, China seeks to legitimise a governance model that aligns with the aspirations of developing nations.
The WAIC showcased a wide array of AI-enabled systems, with embodied intelligence systems drawing particular attention. These systems, which can understand, reason and interact with the physical world, demonstrate China’s focus on gaining an edge in the next wave of AI development.
A significant portion of the conference exhibitions centred on computing power technologies. This focus reflects the growing emphasis among Chinese AI startups on innovating in areas that could potentially pose major obstacles to China’s AI advancement. Such efforts are crucial given the substantial computing power required for training AI systems.
In response to US-led sanctions, China’s AI startups are pivoting towards generative AI technologies, particularly the development of Large Language Models (LLMs). The Shanghai event saw the unveiling of over 30 LLMs, some of which are comparable to OpenAI’s benchmark model GPT-4. A notable example is SenseNova, developed by SenseTime, a Chinese company known for its expertise in facial recognition technology.
At the event, China’s rising AI companies demonstrated a united front in developing resilience against external geopolitical challenges. The Chinese tech giant Huawei announced its efforts to reduce domestic AI industry bottlenecks related to ‘computing power’ — an area targeted by US restrictions. Huawei offered its data lake solutions to enhance domestic AI companies’ LLM-building capabilities.
Reports suggest OpenAI may block its application programming interface in mainland China, potentially jeopardising the development of Chinese LLMs. In anticipation of such a crisis, SenseTime announced a ‘zero cost’ plan to help local developers transition from OpenAI to SenseTime AI models.
Infinigence AI, based in Xuhui, Shanghai, unveiled a new infrastructure platform at the conference. The software connects various AI chips and models, promising to create a hybrid AI infrastructure combining technologies from Nvidia, Huawei and AMD. This development highlights the potential to overcome current limitations in accessing US AI infrastructure.
The conference revealed significant trends in China’s domestic AI industry, which is now focusing on advancements that prepare for the future. These developments highlight China’s strategic vision and commitment to long-term technological leadership in the AI sector. China’s focus on next-generation technologies serves a dual purpose — countering US economic statecraft and addressing domestic economic challenges.
The demonstration of advanced systems, including free rides in driverless vehicles, aims to promote commercialisation and build public trust in automated machines. Shanghai, a leading centre for China’s AI development known for its cluster innovation model, has gained global attention through the Shanghai Declaration, which could potentially attract foreign investment. Amid economic challenges, China views AI-led development as a means to transform local industries and drive ‘high-quality development’.
The 2024 WAIC has enabled China to present a united stance against US-led sanctions on its AI sector. The conference showcases China’s tech ambitions in building a comprehensive AI value chain, focusing on algorithm innovation, language datasets, industry-specific applications, robotics and autonomous vehicles.
By highlighting its latest achievements, China aims to demonstrate that innovation has not been hindered. Instead, the WAIC reaffirms that US restrictions are serving as a catalyst for Chinese AI developers, spurring them to overcome challenges and advance their technologies.
Megha Shrivastava is Dr TMA Pai Fellow and Doctoral Candidate at the Department of Geopolitics and International Relations, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, India.