Xi Launches 29-Member AI Group, Pledges Training for Thousands in Developing Countries
Updated
Updated · Financial Times · Jul 23
Xi Launches 29-Member AI Group, Pledges Training for Thousands in Developing Countries
3 articles · Updated · Financial Times · Jul 23
Summary
Shanghai’s World AI Conference gave Xi Jinping a platform to unveil a 29-member World AI Cooperation Organisation and promise AI training for thousands of people from developing countries.
China paired that offer with open-source models and planned international application co-operation centres, aiming to make AI cheaper and easier to adopt across the global south.
Analysts said the pitch exploits a gap left by the US, where leading closed-model products from companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic remain too costly for many poorer countries.
For Beijing, wider adoption of Chinese AI could extend its influence over global standards and governance in a technology it sees as as consequential as the internet.
As China exports low-cost AI and its governance model, can Silicon Valley's expensive systems still win over the Global South?
With oil prices soaring and new Red Sea attacks, what are the cascading economic effects of a wider US-Iran conflict?
Why do Japanese lenders fear liability for a US nuclear meltdown when treaties make the operator solely responsible?
The Rise of WAICO: How China’s 2026 AI Organization Is Redefining Global Governance and Dividing Regulatory Systems
Overview
The World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO), launched in July 2026, quickly became a major force in global AI governance by introducing an independent regulatory framework that challenges existing international norms. Its emergence marked a turning point, creating a clear split in how countries regulate and develop AI technologies. WAICO’s approach operates separately from established Western-led standards, leading to a divided global regulatory landscape. This shift signals growing divergence among nations and highlights the increasing complexity for businesses and governments navigating AI development and compliance worldwide.