(Yicai) June 20 -- The World Artificial Intelligence Conference will be held in Shanghai next month under the theme 'Governing AI for Good and for All,' gathering top global scientists, entrepreneurs, and investors to discuss frontier areas and governance topics.

The 7th WAIC will include a forum, exhibition, award, and smart experience, the Shanghai government announced today. Between July 4 and 6, the forum will host over 200 leading guests, including nine laureates of the Turing Award, Fields Medal, and Nobel Prize, it added.

The exhibition will take place between July 4 and 7, covering an area of over 52,000 square meters with more than 1,500 exhibits involving large language models, computing power, robots, and the autonomous driving field, the government noted. Over 500 firms, including Tesla, Microsoft, and Schneider Electric, have confirmed attendance.

The WAIC will continue to award the Superior AI Leader award, with over 200 domestic and overseas projects competing, according to the government. The award this year sees a record-high proportion of overseas contenders.

The conference's experience area will demonstrate the use of cutting-edge AI technologies, including humanoid robots, virtuality-reality integration, automated driving, drones, and brain-computer interfaces.

The number of AI firms above designated size in Shanghai surged to 348 last year from 183 in 2018, when the first WAIC was held. The local AI industry reached CNY380 billion from CNY134 billion (USD52.3 billion from USD18.5 billion).

Shanghai also introduced China's first local AI regulation in 2022, exploring the establishment of a systematic governance framework to coordinate the development and safety of AI.

Editor: Martin Kadiev