WIC Specialized Committee on AI holds 2026 plenum and 3rd meeting of chairs

The 2026 Plenum and the 3rd Meeting of Chairs of the World Internet Conference (WIC) Specialized Committee on AI were held in Wuzhen, Zhejiang province, on Nov 2, both online and offline.

The meeting was presided over by the Committee's Chief Chair, Wang Jian, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, director of Zhejiang Lab, and founder of Alibaba Cloud.

The 2026 Plenum and the 3rd Meeting of Chairs of the World Internet Conference Specialized Committee on AI kicks off in Wuzhen, Zhejiang province, on Nov 2.

The meeting is presided over by the Committee's Chief Chair, Wang Jian, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, director of Zhejiang Lab, and founder of Alibaba Cloud.

In 2026, on the basis of its Standards Program, AI Safety and Governance Program, and Industry Program, the Committee organized eight thematic seminars and six research meetings on topics including international standards for responsible AI, emerging AI security and governance, embodied AI, AI applications in improving people's livelihoods, and AI for scientific research.

The committee produced one research report and one initiative, further strengthening its expertise and international influence.

Co-leads of the Committee’s Standards Program, AI Safety and Governance Program, and Industry Program deliver remarks.

The meeting approved proposed additions to the list of vice-chairs, changes to the co-leads of the programs, proposed additions to their membership, and the Committee's 2026 work review and 2027 work plan.

Zeng Yi, co-chair of the Committee and co-lead of the AI Safety and Governance Program, a Wu Yuzhang chair professor at the Gaoling School of Artificial Intelligence at Renmin University of China, and dean of Beijing Institute of AI Safety and Governance; Yuan Yuan, director of AliResearch and co-lead of the Industry Program; and Wei Kai, vice-chair of the Committee, director of the Artificial Intelligence Research Institute of China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, and co-lead of the Standards Program, presented the progress and plans for their respective programs.

Co-leads of the Committee's Standards Program, AI Safety and Governance Program, and Industry Program deliver remarks.

Co-leads of the Committee's Standards Program, AI Safety and Governance Program, and Industry Program deliver remarks.

In 2027, the Committee will work to translate its open-source and openness initiative into action through thematic seminars, joint research, and the publication of initiatives and research findings. It will continue to leverage its platform to deepen international exchanges and cooperation, contributing to the development and governance of AI worldwide.

Dame Wendy Hall, a fellow of the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering in the UK, delivers remarks.

Zhang Yaqin, a foreign academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, delivers remarks.

Dame Wendy Hall, a fellow of the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering in the UK, and Zhang Yaqin, a foreign academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, delivered concluding remarks, recognizing the Committee's progress in building a platform for international exchanges, fostering consensus and conducting joint research.

They encouraged the Committee to keep pace with advances in AI technology and industry needs, strengthen collaboration among members from different fields, and deepen research into shared challenges in AI development and governance.

They also called for greater exchange of standards-related experience, governance approaches and industry practices, providing a basis for practical cooperation and jointly advancing the safe, inclusive and sustainable development of AI.