Xi Jinping Champions New Global AI Order
At the opening ceremony of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a defining speech that clearly articulated China’s ambition to shape the future of global AI governance.
Positioning Beijing as the champion of a new technological order, Xi urged nations to seize the "historic opportunity" of open-source artificial intelligence. He pledged to help developing countries build their own AI capabilities, warning that unequal access to this transformative technology could result in "new historical injustices."
Balancing Tech Advancement with Human Control
A crucial element of the speech focused on safety and the ethical stewardship of AI. As we continue to witness rapid technological advancement, finding ways to prevent progress from harming our world remains a paramount priority. Xi addressed this directly, calling for all AI systems to remain firmly under human control.
He urged the international community to establish early-warning and emergency-response mechanisms to manage AI risks. By guarding against loss-of-control scenarios and autonomous systems that could evade human oversight, these measures align perfectly with the vital philosophy that technological innovation must be carefully balanced with the protection and well-being of our planet.
The Rise of the WAICO and the Global South
This diplomatic push was further solidified with the launch of the China-created World AI Cooperation Organisation (WAICO), which recently signed on 29 member countries. Xi referred to the organization as a "milestone in the history of world AI development."
Targeting the Global South: China plans to provide AI training and develop cooperation centers with BRICS, ASEAN, Latin American, and African Union countries.
Competing Visions: This move positions China's AI coalition as a direct alternative to Washington-led initiatives, such as the 35-country "AI Opportunity Statement."
Open-Source as a Public Good: Chinese state media has emphasized pooling global strength to build an "open-source, all-factor AI ecosystem," framing their models as a global public good.
China's Open-Weight AI Gains Momentum
This institutional push is backed by rapid gains in China’s domestic AI sector. Beijing-based startup Moonshot AI recently unveiled Kimi K3. Described as the world's largest open AI model by parameter count, the release illustrates how Chinese developers are narrowing the gap with proprietary systems from U.S. companies like OpenAI and Anthropic.
However, tension remains between promoting open-source AI and maintaining a stringent national security agenda, with reports indicating Beijing is weighing restrictions on overseas access to some of its leading AI models.
This video provides a brief look at the official signing ceremony establishing the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization mentioned in the article.