Shanghai-based grouping aims to ensure orderly development of artificial intelligence

A signing ceremony for an agreement on the establishment of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) was held in Shanghai on July 16.

Representatives from a total of 29 countries signed the agreement. Foreign Minister Wang Yi signed the agreement on behalf of the Chinese government.

The agreement stipulates that the independent, intergovernmental organization will be guided by the purposes of the United Nations Charter, uphold the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, and follow a people-centered approach.

The organization aims to promote international cooperation and global governance in artificial intelligence, ensure the sound and orderly development of AI in a beneficial, safe and equitable direction, and bring benefits to all humanity.

Its headquarters will be in Shanghai.

The Foreign Ministry said earlier last year that the proposal to establish the organization was a practical move taken by China to practice multilateralism, reflecting the aspirations of the Global South. The aim is to unleash the dividends of AI, bridge the AI divide and ensure that AI is used for good outcomes, it said.

According to Xinhua News Agency, China will work with WAICO’s founding members to launch its operations at an early date.

The organization will focus on three areas. First, it will prioritize international cooperation on AI capacity building through policy exchanges, technical cooperation, personnel training and joint research, helping developing countries benefit equally from the new wave of AI development.

Second, it will serve as a platform matching supply with demand, promote AI applications tailored to national conditions, strengthen technological and industrial cooperation, and encourage the joint development of open-source ecosystems, with the aim of delivering practical, accessible outcomes that address real-world needs.

Third, it will uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, support implementation of the Global Digital Compact and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and promote the building of a just and equitable system for global AI governance.

Meanwhile, an international action plan on AI ethics governance was released on July 17 at the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai.

Led by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the action plan aims to help implement commitments related to the United Nations’ Pact for the Future and its annex, the Global Digital Compact, while promoting a globally collaborative, action-oriented framework for AI governance.

The plan focuses on several key areas, including ethical governance throughout the full life cycle of AI, risk classification and tiered prevention and control, the development of agile governance mechanisms, the building of coordinated industrial ecosystems, and the construction of a sound social environment for responsible AI development.

While the ethics action plan focuses on how AI should be governed, another plan released at the conference places greater emphasis on how AI development can be advanced through cooperation.

Released by the National Development and Reform Commission and other government departments, it seeks to foster an open and cooperative ecosystem for AI development by outlining actions in eight areas, such as increasing the supply of high-quality data.

Contact the writers at mojingxi@chinadaily.com.cn