(ECNS) -- The 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance concluded in Shanghai on Monday after a four-day run, generating 212 on-site procurement requests valued at an estimated 20.36 billion yuan (about $2.83 billion).
The 2026 WAIC is one of the world's largest and most influential gatherings in the AI field, and also the first high-profile diplomatic event hosted by China in this sector. It drew official representatives from 102 countries and international organizations, along with participants from industry, academia and research.
The conference hosted nearly 160 forums, bringing together over 100 investment institutions and more than 200 professional investors, with over 180 outstanding startup projects from home and abroad presenting and showcasing their work. A total of 1,568 experts attended, including 11 Turing Award, Nobel Prize and Fields Medal laureates, and 432 international speakers. The exhibition area exceeded 100,000 square meters, featuring 4,486 exhibits, with 351 products making their global debut and 198 their first showcase. The number of exhibitors and exhibition space both grew by over one-third compared with last year, attracting more than 400,000 in-person visitors.
By Monday, the conference had hosted 177 key international procurement delegations and issued 212 procurement requests on-site, with intended procurement value estimated at about 20.36 billion yuan, up 25% year on year.
A number of key Shanghai AI projects were signed at the closing ceremony, covering 32 projects in areas including AI infrastructure, agent applications, embodied intelligence and scientific intelligence, with total investment exceeding 40.9 billion yuan.
(By Tang Yuxian)
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