China’s top leadership endorses artificial intelligence

The 2018 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) was held in Shanghai from September 17 to 19, and was co-hosted by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), China Academy of Science (CAS), Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), and the Shanghai Municipal Government. At the conference, experts, scholars, and entrepreneurs from nearly 40 countries and regions conducted dialogues and exchanges centered on cutting-edge AI technology, industrial trends, and hot issues. More than 200 leading AI enterprises participated in the conference and related exhibitions.

 

To mark the opening of this year’s WAIC, President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter, stressing the importance of properly handling new issues raised by artificial intelligence in the areas of law, security, employment, ethics, and governance.

 

Vice Premier Liu He, also a member of the Politburo, delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony and indicated that President Xi’s congratulatory message fully reflected that China attaches great importance to WAIC and the overall development of AI.