Shanghai pushes for a fairer framework on global AI governance

At the 2026 World AI Conference and its high-level meeting on global AI governance in Shanghai, China called on countries to work together toward a fairer and more reasonable system for governing artificial intelligence, so that the benefits of the technology reach a wider range of nations and people.

During the meeting, China announced the establishment of a World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, to be headquartered in Shanghai. The body is intended to give countries a platform for policy coordination, technical exchange and capacity building in the field.

Cooperation aimed at developing nations

China said it would set up joint AI application centers with regional organizations including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Arab League and the African Union, helping the technology take root in more places. Organizers stressed that AI development should stay people-centered and share its gains broadly.

On the practical side, an AI-driven weather early-warning system named Mazu is planned for deployment in around thirty countries, to strengthen disaster warning and response. Applications like it are held up as an example of spreading the technology's benefits.

Voices from many sides

Observers from Kenya, Indonesia and Australia argued that openness and cooperation are the key to narrowing the AI divide. For many developing economies, access to technology, data and talent will directly shape their place in this wave of change.

How to encourage innovation while guarding against risk remains a shared challenge for global governance. Whether multilateral coordination can be put into practice will decide how much these initiatives actually achieve.