The World AI Conference 2026 in Shanghai is being hailed by experts as a pivotal forum for shaping responsible, inclusive and cooperative approaches to artificial intelligence, as 29 countries moved to establish a new international body to coordinate efforts on AI governance and capacity building.
– A forum for consensus and a new organisation
The four-day conference, held July 17–20 in Shanghai, brought together policymakers, academics and industry figures who framed the event as more than a showcase of technological advances. Delegates on Thursday signed an agreement creating the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO), a move presented by several attendees as the start of a fresh international framework for dialogue, mutual trust and shared responsibility in AI.
Speakers commended the convening role of the host country in assembling diverse partners and advancing early safety regulation. Mark Jay Nitzberg, executive director of UC Berkeley’s Center for Human-Compatible AI, described the Shanghai meeting as an important platform for countries to cooperate on safe and ethical AI. Nenad Popovic, a Serbian minister, said the WAICO launch represented the “beginning of building a new system of international cooperation” to ensure AI serves humanity.
– Narrowing the global AI divide
A recurrent theme at the World AI Conference 2026 was the widening gap between countries that lead in AI development and those with limited resources. Several experts argued that capacity building and knowledge sharing are essential to prevent the technology from exacerbating existing inequalities.
Xue Lan, dean of Schwarzman College at Tsinghua University, underscored China’s emphasis on inclusive development, saying efforts go beyond technology transfer to helping countries build their own capabilities. Balew Demissie of the Policy Studies Institute of Ethiopia called the conference “an important platform for engagement, learning and partnership-building,” noting it offers developing countries a chance to move from technology consumers to active participants. Commentators from Kenya and Thailand highlighted
