AI Titans Clash in Shanghai Amidst U.S.-China Tensions

This weekend, Shanghai will host the World AI Conference, showcasing the latest in artificial intelligence by major Chinese tech firms like Huawei and Alibaba, as well as international giants such as Tesla and Amazon. The event underscores China's ambition to dominate the AI sphere despite U.S. sanctions.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang is set to open the conference, underlining AI's critical role in China's national development target to become a global leader in technology by 2030. However, this ambition has intensified the tech rivalry with the U.S., which fears military advancements from China's AI progress.

Despite U.S. export restrictions, Chinese companies like DeepSeek are making significant AI strides with cost-effective models rivaling U.S. leaders. The conference will feature over 800 companies presenting cutting-edge products, high-tech models, and intelligent robots. Notably, startups such as Unitree will showcase their humanoid robots.

(With inputs from agencies.)