Headline: Xi Jinping urges China’s youth to drive AI innovation at Shanghai Foundation Model Innovation Center
On April 29, 2025, at a conference dedicated to the next generation of autonomous intelligent agents, Chinese leader Xi Jinping met with young innovators at the Shanghai Foundation Model Innovation Center (SMC). He emphasized the central role of youth in realizing the country’s “great national dream,” saying it is time for young people to “show their talents and fully realize their potential.”
A clear message to young researchers
At the SMC, a foundation-model incubator in Shanghai, Xi praised teams whose average age is under 35 and laid out explicit expectations for the next generation. “To realize the great dream of the Chinese nation, we place our hopes on the youth,” he said, encouraging young talent to mobilize across technology sectors.
A center driven by a new generation
The conference—focused on autonomous intelligent agents—highlighted an ecosystem energized by predominantly young teams. The SMC positions itself as an innovation hub where the operational team’s average age reflects the early entry of researchers and engineers into foundation-model and AI research.
Voices from the next generation
Participants described a dynamic, fast-moving sector. Ji Pan, a researcher born after 1990 based at the SMC, said he felt “the rapid progress and strong momentum” of China’s AI industry. For Wang Dianyi, a post-2000 PhD candidate at the Shanghai Institute of Innovation, today offers “a broader stage than ever” for young people to fulfill their potential.
What this means for Chinese youth and AI
Remarks made at the SMC reaffirm a priority on training and engaging young people in the development of AI technologies. They also signal a push to elevate tech careers among a generation that, according to participants, shows confidence and initiative in seizing opportunities presented by AI.
Conclusion
According to attendees, the conference and exchanges between the leader and young technologists reflect a moment in which China’s youth are positioned as a driving force of AI innovation, poised to play a major role in future developments.
