China's World Internet Conference summit to focus on open-source AI

This photo taken on Nov. 7, 2025 shows a scene during the opening ceremony of the 2025 World Internet Conference (WIC) Wuzhen Summit in Wuzhen, east China's Zhejiang Province. (File photo: Xinhua)

BEIJING, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- The 2026 World Internet Conference (WIC) Wuzhen Summit will put open-source AI and international cooperation on AI development and governance at the center of its agenda, organizers said Tuesday at a news conference in Beijing.

The summit will take place from Nov. 2 to 5 in Wuzhen, east China's Zhejiang Province, bringing together Chinese and international participants for discussions on innovation, security governance, cultural exchanges and international cooperation.

A dialogue at the main forum will gather executives from leading technology companies and developers of open-source large models to discuss how to build a global open-source AI ecosystem.

The summit will feature 27 sub-forums, with topics including trust, connectivity and interoperability among AI agents, as well as robotics, embodied AI and spatiotemporal intelligence. Cyberspace cooperation under the Global Governance Initiative will also feature in the discussions.

This focus on open-source cooperation follows broader Chinese efforts to promote international collaboration in AI.

An action plan issued at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai in July called for sharing open-source ecosystems, jointly developing rules and standards and strengthening cooperation on AI safety governance.

The theme of this year's Wuzhen Summit emphasizes open source, inclusiveness, joint contribution and shared benefits in building a community with a shared future in cyberspace.

Discussions will address both the principles and practical applications of open-source and inclusive AI development, as well as international concerns over its governance, according to the organizers.

Other events will include the WIC Awards for Pioneering Science and Technology, the WIC Distinguished Contribution Award, the Light of Internet Expo, and presentations of outstanding cases of jointly building a community with a shared future in cyberspace.

First held in 2014, the Wuzhen Summit brings together government officials, representatives of international organizations, technology executives and researchers to discuss the development and governance of the internet. The WIC was established as an international organization headquartered in Beijing in 2022.

The summit is organized by the WIC, with the Zhejiang provincial government responsible for local arrangements.