Determined to put forward new schemes and applications of AI, the 2020 World Artificial Intelligence Conference focuses on the development of AI technology, especially its industrial transformation from a global perspective.
To emphasize the importance of globalization, the second day of the event is designated International Day. All activities held on this day focused on enhancing global communication by gathering international organizations, government departments, AI enterprises, and innovation projects from all over the world to discuss progress on AI development.
WAIC International Day was officially launched July 10 at the World Expo Center in Shanghai. The opening ceremony was led by Rong Zhiqin, deputy director of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology, accompanied by Zhao Xiaolei, the director of UNIDO ITPO Shanghai; Cai Jiong, Partner of ZD Smart Capital and two entrepreneurs: Thomas Knoop, CEO and co-founder of Livecom and Davide Calì, CEO and founder of Expand. The guests came on stage and lit a world map to officially kick off the WAIC International Day. The ceremony was followed by an opening speech by Xu Kunlin, the deputy mayor of Shanghai.
This year, WAIC successfully established on-site forums at three overseas countries: South Korea, Singapore, and Germany, receiving nation-wide and international attention. The South Korean forum has guests from the government and research institutes to share their knowledge on the progress of Chinese and Korean AI enterprises and how the collaboration between the two countries leads to high-quality economic development in the near future.
At the WAIC 2020 Singapore Stage, Chng Zhenzhi, the director of the national AI office of Smart National and Digital Government Office (SNDGO), shared in-depth information on the application and development of AI technology as part of the country’s economic strategy during the Singapore forum. Singapore is one of the world’s most active countries in embracing emerging technologies. Prepared to enter a new era of digitization, it has classified artificial intelligence as one of its four indispensable cutting-edge technologies. As of now, companies and institutions in Singapore have gradually introduced AI into their daily life. With continuous enhancement and computing power, AI can soon be applied to more extensive fields, whether it is in new retail, health care, education, or financial services.
Held at the SAP Data Space in Berlin, the WAIC 2020 Germany Stage is organized by the China Brücke, the German Artificial Intelligence Research Center (DFKI), the German Chinese Chamber of Commerce (CHKD), the Hamburg Port Logistics Joint Stock Company (HHLA), the German-Chinese Artificial Intelligence Association (GCAAI), and SAP. Attracting nearly 300 exceptional participants, the seminar was attended by seven most influential scientists, politicians, and entrepreneurs in the field of AI to conduct in-depth discussions on Sino-German AI cooperation. Since 2013, China and Germany have reached a consensus on the technological partnership, which laid a good foundation for exchanges and cooperation between the two countries. This high-end digital dialogue on artificial intelligence will become an excellent platform to further deepen the partnership, as a new round of global technological revolution and industrial change has arrived.
Leading up to the WAIC International Day, WAIC organized other events to promote international communication. These included the International Smart City Summit, a roadshow of the UNIDO ITPO network, the China Israel AI Industry Investment Summit, and the International Salon of AI innovation and talent exchange. The results were fascinating, as more than 150 AI innovation projects from all over the world participated, including many newly emerged products. Furthermore, 20 high-quality innovation projects from China, the US, the UK, Canada, Turkey, Singapore, Italy, and other countries conducted online and offline exhibitions.
These projects can be applied to extensive fields, including urban management, business finance, agriculture, industrial automation, robotics, data security, and other cutting-edge fields. Apart from the opportunity to face a global audience, UNIDO ITPO Shanghai has also launched a special project competition, where the winning project could be displayed at the 2020 European Open Science Forum in Italy and the 2021 World Expo in Dubai.
With an open mind and an international vision, Shanghai is determined to embrace talent from all fields of artificial intelligence at home and abroad. The 2020 WAIC is the door to global industrial development and social progress as technological innovations from all over the world compete for the spotlight.