WAIC 2026 Lands in Shanghai This July 17: Unveiling the First Top-Tier Global AI Conference & 300+ Worldwide Product Debut

Reporter | Xu Meihui

Editor | Wen Shuqi

Back on June 17, during the official 30-day countdown briefing for the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), organizers confirmed that the main event—alongside the High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance—will officially open its doors from July 17 to 20 here in Shanghai.

This year marks the ninth edition of the conference. According to officials from the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization, WAIC 2026 is running under the theme “Smart Partners, Co-Creating the Future.” We’ve got six major tracks lined up: high-level forums, massive exhibitions, competitive showcases, hands-on experience zones, startup incubators, and talent recruitment drives. Expect over 140 themed sessions bringing together more than 1,400 international speakers and industry leaders.

On the exhibition floor, things are getting serious. The event spreads across three prime hubs—World Expo, Zhangjiang, and West Bund—covering a staggering 100,000+ square meters. Over 1,100 companies will roll out 3,000+ innovations, with more than 300 of those making their absolute first global debut. For the very first time, we’re also rolling out a dedicated OPC showcase zone, already packed with 180 cutting-edge firms ready to flex their latest breakthroughs.

When it comes to real-world business impact, the numbers speak for themselves. So far, the conference has successfully fast-tracked 57 core AI application scenarios into actual deployments, locking in partnership intentions worth a whopping 16.2 billion RMB.

But here’s what really catches our eye: this year, WAIC is pioneering its own high-caliber, globally focused academic summit called WAIC Academic. It’s a major milestone, signaling that China now hosts its very own world-class academic hub for AI research and discourse.

According to the organizing team, WAIC Academic is being led by Turing Award laureate Professor Andrew Chi-Chih Yao (Yao Qizhi) as Chair, with Reinforcement Learning pioneer Professor Richard Sutton serving as International Co-Chair. They’re joined by Program Committee Co-Chairs Zheng Qinghua (Academician, Chinese Academy of Engineering) and E Weinan (Academician, Chinese Academy of Sciences). The call for papers has already pulled in 284 high-quality submissions from over 10 countries and regions—including the US, UK, Japan, Singapore, France, and Spain—with a competitive acceptance rate hovering around 20%.

To wrap up the announcement, the organizers also dropped the long-awaited top 30 list for the conference’s highest honor: the 2026 SAIL Award (Sustainable AI Leadership Awards).