Running from July 4-6, the 2024 World Artificial Intelligence Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance (WAIC 2024) has reached unprecedented levels in terms of exhibition scale, number of exhibitors, featured exhibits, and debut products.
Covering an exhibition area of 52,000 square meters, the event will focus on key fields such as large models, computing power, robotics, and autonomous driving. It will showcase the latest achievements in "AI+" applications and unveil numerous highly anticipated innovative products.
Over 500 companies have confirmed their participation, with more than 50 percent coming from outside Shanghai or overseas. The number of exhibits is set to exceed 1,500.
Highlight one:Record number of debuts
Model algorithms
The exhibition will vividly showcase the emergence of large models, featuring text-to-text, text-to-image, text-to-video, on-device, and open-source models.
Leading companies such as Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, Huawei, SenseTime, iFLYTEK, China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom, and Transwarp will demonstrate their core products. Emerging companies like Minimax, Baichuan Intelligence, Zhipu AI, and Step Star will also be present. Additionally, Microsoft, Dell Technologies, Lenovo, ZTE, Kingsoft Office, and Yuanli Education Technology will focus on on-device applications, showcasing the potential of model implementation.
Must-see product debutsNew-generation modelsSenseTime: "SenseTime Daydaynew 5.5"iFLYTEK: "iFLYTEK Spark Big Model V4.0"Transwarp: "Transwarp Wuya Big Model based on AIPC"Baichuan Intelligence: "New generation base model Baichuan 4"Step Star: "Step-2 trillion-parameter language model"Qualcomm: "World's first large language and vision assistant model running on Android smartphones"One Linker One World: "OmModel V4 multimodal large language model and its application in agents"Model applicationAlibaba: "Tongyi Lingma"Ant Group: "'Alipay Intelligent Assistant' built on its foundational Bailing large language model"Kingsoft Office: "WPS AI Enterprise Edition"Mobvoi: "Short video generation platform 'yuan365'"Platforms and systemsHuawei: "Ascend AI full-stack solution"
On-site highlightsNew-generation modelsBaidu: "Wenxin Model 4.0"Tencent: "General Model—Tencent Hunyuan"Huawei: "Pangu Model 5.0"Zhipu AI: "New Generation Cognitive Intelligence Model"Midu: "Honey Nest Government Model"Unisound: "Shanhai Model"Model Best: "Model Best MiniCPM Flagship On-Device Model Series"Model applicationAmazon Web Services: "Amazon Q Business — Generative AI Assistant for Enterprises"INF Technology: "Xiaoxiang"Platforms and systemsCSMAR: "Financial Large Language Model Service Platform"Xiyu Technology: "MiniMax Open Platform"
Intelligent robots
China's robot market is thriving, with its national market size reaching 83.9 billion yuan in 2023.
This year's exhibition will feature a humanoid robot zone, showcasing 25 humanoid robots. Highlights include the launch of Qinglong, the world's first full-size open-source general humanoid robot, and China's first full-size humanoid robot open-source community. Tesla will debut its Optimus Gen 2, and Unitree will display China's first full-size general-purpose humanoid robot, the H1, which is capable of running.
Fourier Intelligence, Dataa Robotics, and Deep Robotics will also showcase over 20 intelligent robots.
Must-see product debutsHumanoid robots"Tesla's general-purpose humanoid robot, Optimus Gen 2""Dataa Robotics' XR4 Biped Humanoid Robot"Quadruped/Wheeled robotsDeep Robotics: "Lite3 Intelligent Robot Dog"
On-site highlightsHumanoid robotsNational Humanoid Robot Innovation Center: "Qinglong Humanoid Robot"Unitree: "Unitree H1"Robot Era: "L2"Zhuoyide Robotics: " X02-lite"
New terminals
The development of AI has entered a new stage of large-scale application. The exhibition will feature a series of new terminals across various industries, such as livelihood, education, media, and entertainment.
Dell Technologies and Lenovo will showcase multiple AI-driven terminal products, including AI-powered personal computers. ZTE will present its "AI for All" strategy, and XREAL will display its head-mounted terminal products, highlighting the new landscape of modern digital life.
On-site highlightsAI-driven phonesLenovo: "Adaptive Display Concept—Belmont"ZTE: "Inclusive AI Naked Eye 3D Phone"AI-driven PCsDell Technologies: "Latitude 7450 Laptop Computer"Lenovo: "Yoga Book 9i Dual-Screen Convertible Laptop"Tablet devicesYuanli Education Technology: "Little Ape Learning Machine"Wearable devicesXREAL: "Smart AR Glasses XREAL Air 2 Ultra"Smart carsTesla: "Cybertruck"Jiyue Auto: "Jiyue 01"
"AI+" has moved beyond the theoretical stage and into real-world production and everyday life. The exhibition will feature various innovative applications, including:
Google and Lanzhou University collaboration: Using the open-source technology TensorFlow, they incorporate Dunhuang mural patterns into the design of modern clothing.QuVideo: Officially launching its AI service platform for enterprises, "Firefly Fusion," aimed at more efficient commercial content creation.Auto Agents: Showcasing the latest AI agent technology and products to aid in the development of industries such as power, finance, and healthcare.Space Travel: Presenting the AI Science Experience Hall (Eye of Time) to demonstrate how to create an integrated online and offline AI-driven experience, covering education, cultural tourism, social interaction, and entertainment.
Highlight two:AI+ drives SOE innovation
State-owned enterprises are leveraging AI+ to create new innovation growth points. At this year's exhibition, companies such as China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom, CITIC Group, ZTE, Bank of Communications, China Pacific Insurance, China Baowu, Sugon, and COSCO Shipping will showcase applications that combine AI with various industries.
China Mobile will present the "Jiutian Base Model" and "5G-A×AI New Calling." The Jiutian Base Model is China’s first model from centrally administered SOEs, based on nearly 10,000 cards of all-liquid-cooled domestic intelligent computing clusters and the first to be dual-registered with the National Cyberspace Administration for generative AI services and algorithms. It has been widely used in more than 20 industries, including in the government, healthcare, and industry.
China Unicom will showcase its "Yuanjing '1+1+M' LLM system," which includes a basic model, a model base, and M industry models, already used in industries such as network, customer service, anti-fraud, industry, and government.
China Telecom's Full-stack Self-developed Exhibition Area will display innovative achievements developed based on cloud-network computing power and self-developed algorithms, including the "Xingchen Model" and "Smart Cloud Shanghai Broadband." China Telecom's Better Life Exhibition Area will showcase how AI technology enhances daily life, with interactive products allowing visitors to experience the benefits of smart homes and urban digital governance in a smart city.
The Bank of Communications will focus on five major areas: technology financing, green financing, inclusive finance, elderly finance, and digital finance.
CITIC Group will showcase the world's first "Lighthouse Factory" technology in the special steel industry—an intelligent manufacturing collaborative system based on centralized control across multiple processes and sites. It will also upgrade the "Lighthouse Factory" technology in the automotive aluminum parts industry—a globally deployed industrial Internet intelligent manufacturing collaborative system.
The conference will also host an exhibition to highlight China's achievements in AI. Over 60 companies from key segments of the AI industry chain have been invited to participate.
Highlight three:Comprehensive Connection Hub
For the first time, this year's conference will feature the Comprehensive Connection Hub, dedicated to connecting various segments of the industrial chain. It will serve as a bridge between innovation and investment, talent and enterprises, and technologies and applications. The hub will showcase over 100 innovation projects, gather more than 100 investment institutions, invite over 100 procurement groups, and provide over 100 demand scenarios. Additionally, it will host a variety of activities for youths.
Future Tech 100 Innovation Incubation Exhibition
The exhibition provides a venue for connecting 100 global startups with a team of 100 investors.
These 100 startups are among the most innovative, forward-looking, high-growth, and commercially valuable companies selected from around the world. The exhibition focuses on eight strategic emerging industries: model and model applications, new industrialization, the metaverse and digital exhibitions, fintech, embodied intelligence and intelligent terminals, smart transportation and the low-altitude economy, AI for Science, and quantum technology.
The team of 100 investors is composed of government-guided funds, SOE industrial investment funds, listed companies, venture capital funds, and private equity investment funds.
AI+ Application Scenarios Comprehensive Zone
The zone will feature three main functional areas: the exhibition center, release center, and matchmaking center.
It will host 20 procurement matching meetings and closed-door meetings with procurement groups. Over 100 scenario providers from across the country and nearly 20 other countries, including Switzerland, the United States, Singapore, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Mexico, will present nearly 200 actual procurement demands on-site. These demands will cover a wide range of industries, including agriculture, industrial manufacturing, finance, logistics, education, advertising creativity, culture and tourism, healthcare, new consumption, construction engineering, urban-rural development, planning and design, and community governance. The total procurement amount is expected to exceed 10 billion yuan.
In addition to these three main highlights, the WAIC 2024 exhibition will also delve into the frontiers of digital health and smart healthcare. Visitors will be able to explore how low-carbon energy is reshaping our environment, experience the intelligent transformation of commercial retail, appreciate the convenience and innovation brought by fintech, explore the infinite possibilities of smart cities, enjoy the technological charm of entertainment and sports, and witness how intelligent education is enlightening the next generation.
