The 2024 World Internet Conference (WIC) Wuzhen Summit saw the inaugural presentation of the WIC Distinguished Contribution Award, honoring individuals and companies that have made exceptional contributions to the global internet sector. Seven prominent individuals and 14 renowned enterprises were recognized for their achievements.

The award ceremony takes place during the opening session of the World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit on Nov 20, 2024. [Photo/wicinternet.org]

The WIC Distinguished Contribution Award for enterprises is divided into three categories of social contribution, innovation breakthrough, and growth potential, focusing on key areas such as 5G, artificial intelligence (AI), chip design, cloud computing, and cybersecurity. These awards celebrate technological advancements, social impact, and development potential, while inspiring more talent and companies to be involved in the internet sector and explore the infinite possibilities of the digital future.

The theme of the 2024 WIC Wuzhen Summit, "Embracing a People-Centered and AI-for-Good Digital Future – Building a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace," emphasized the global challenge of leveraging digital technology for the benefit of humanity. The award-winning companies  deeply resonated with this philosophy.

"By prioritizing technological innovation, accelerating the development of digital infrastructure, and working to bridge the global digital divide, we are committed to global AI governance and promoting equitable and open digital development," said a representative from China Telecom Corporation, one of the award recipients.

A representative from ZTE Corporation, another award-winning company, said, "we remain dedicated to a 'people-centered, technology-for-good' approach, exploring new fields, applications, and values in digital technology and AI sectors for industrial, social, and human progress." 

In the digital age, companies are not just innovators in technology; they are also crucial contributors to corporate social responsibility, societal welfare, and global sustainability.

Another award recipient Alibaba Group has led digital business innovation, advancing cloud computing and large model technologies to drive global consumer engagement and economic growth. 

Ant Group, also an award-winning company, leverages digital technology to empower small and micro-enterprises and serve the real economy, with initiatives such as Ant Forest mobilizing over 700 million people to join efforts for green development.

As the internet sector moves from fast growth to a stage of regulated development, the role of corporate social responsibility has become even more prominent. Responsible internet companies must ensure they consistently deliver content that is aligned with positive, healthy values.

Tencent Senior Vice-President Guo Kaitian said Tencent, another award-winning company, has always upheld the mission of "value for users, tech for good". Thanks to the fusion of technology and culture, the company has sparked new momentum across various industries, promoting the integration of digital and real-world sectors and benefiting more people, he added.

AMD, an award recipient, was recognized for its innovation in low-carbon chip design and collaboration with multiple universities around the world on science education projects, driving the sustainable development of the semiconductor industry.

Qi Xiangdong, chairman of the award-winning company QAX, said the company valued social responsibility. He added that QAX, through its platform strategy and AI-driven security approach, provides next-generation cybersecurity products and services. These solutions effectively address the shortage of cybersecurity experts and the challenge of "saturation" attacks, providing robust security protection for government departments and enterprises.

A white paper titled "Jointly Building a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace", released by the China's State Council Information Office, underscored the importance of global cooperation in the reform of the global internet governance system. The award-winning companies are practitioners of this vision through their technological innovations and commitment to social responsibility.

Zhao Ming, CEO of Honor Device Co, an award recipient, stressed the need for a collaborative and open global tech ecosystem. He emphasized Honor's commitment to deepening AI research and realizing a vision where Chinese technology and innovation capabilities deliver benefits to humans.

Evernote CEO Tang Yi expressed similar optimism, recognizing AI's rapid development as a reflection of progress toward a community with a shared future in cyberspace. "Looking ahead to the next decade, we hope the WIC will continue to focus on cutting-edge internet technologies, such as AI, and delve deeper into emerging topics like AI governance," he said.

Poon Fuk Hei, CEO of Companhia de Telecomunica??es de Macau, one of the award recipients, said companies gain growth opportunities from society, and they should also embrace the philosophy of contributing to, giving back to, and enriching society. 

"We support the building of an open, fair, and just digital environment to promote inclusive global digital economic growth," said Zhang Lin, founder and chairman of Freetech. Zhang also put forward the vision of advancing autonomous driving technology to drive the digital transformation of global transportation systems, benefiting people across all countries.

The State Grid Corporation of China has been recognized for its continuous efforts to ensure electricity supply to millions of homes, empowering the global green and low-carbon transformation with its energy solutions.

The Wuzhen Summit serves as a bridge, uniting the dynamic energy of the digital world and seamlessly integrating it into the ongoing development momentum of the era.

Wang Shijin, vice-president of iFlytek Co, another company recognized for its contributions, highlighted the need for the WIC to further promote international dialogue and cooperation and focus on AI ethics and sustainable development to ensure technological advances benefit mankind.

In terms of benefiting society through technology, Ying Zhiwei, vice-president of Hygon, a recipient of the award, shared the company’s dedication to the development of the open-source ecosystem, including efforts to build open-source communities and collaboration with upstream and downstream partners to enhance the user experience and satisfaction across the industry.

As the digital economy and society evolve, internet companies will play a crucial role in building internet infrastructure, contributing to both the growth of the internet industry and the building of a community with a shared future in cyberspace.