China’s biggest AI conference kicks off this week with Qualcomm as the sole US sponsor amid escalating tech rivalry

  • Chinese tech giants, including sanctions-hit Huawei and SenseTime, are the main attraction at the three-day World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai
  • Apple, Amazon, Microsoft and Tesla will all be at the conference, but the number of US sponsors has declined since 2019

Tracy Quin Shanghai
A staff member at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference looks at a robot at the venue in Shanghai on July 9, 2020. Photo: Reuters
China kicks off its annual World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai this week in a showcase of Beijing’s AI ambitions amid a deepening technological rivalry with the US.
The annual event, which is hosted by several government ministries, has attracted China’s top AI firms and institutions. The published agenda that runs from Thursday to Saturday is dominated by local firms and speakers, with some big international names conspicuously missing. Most notably, Microsoft-backed OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, will not be in attendance.
Print option is available for subscribers only.
SUBSCRIBE NOW
Copyright © 2025 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.