The 2025 Light of Internet Expo of the World Internet Conference (WIC), co-hosted by the WIC and the Zhejiang Provincial People’s Government, opened on Nov 6 in Wuzhen, East China’s Zhejiang province. 

Wang Jingtao, deputy director of the Cyberspace Administration of China, and Ren Xianliang, secretary-general of the WIC, attended the opening ceremony. Lu Shan, vice-governor of Zhejiang province, addressed the event.

As a signature event of the WIC Wuzhen Summit, the Light of Internet Expo has been held annually alongside the summit since 2014. Over the past 12 years, it has embodied the vision of building a community with a shared future in cyberspace, illuminating the Internet’s role as a beacon of innovation, civilization, and global progress.

This year’s expo, themed “AI Symbiosis, Enlightening the Future,” features seven themed exhibition zones — Global Sci-Tech Leadership, AI Frontiers, AI + Industry, AI Ecosystem, Cybersecurity, AI Transportation, and Digital Countryside — as well as a special area dedicated to development concepts. A total of 670 enterprises and institutions from 54 countries and regions are participating, showcasing how artificial intelligence is empowering diverse industries and driving cross-sector innovation.

The expo will also host over 100 digital innovation releases and 8 industrial collaboration matchmaking events. Thirty products and 15 application scenarios have been selected for promotion. More than 1,100 enterprises and institutions in the digital economy are offering over 10,000 job opportunities, deepening cooperation in products, projects, talent, and capital, and further expanding the expo’s spillover effects.

Emphasizing digital inclusiveness and intelligent exhibition experiences, the 2025 expo introduces a series of “firsts.” Internet science popularization activities have been launched, allowing young participants to experience AI technologies on-site, while interactive online courses for primary and secondary students make high-quality digital education resources more accessible.

A newly launched super experience pavilion features 3 immersive zones, offering hands-on experiences such as robot combat shows, robot band performances, and interactive training sessions, along with demonstrations of therapeutic and companion robots. Visitors can also enjoy immersive digital recreations of classical Chinese art and interactive displays of Song Dynasty (960-1279) culture.

For the first time, the expo introduces robot tour guides and a “robot curator,” along with humanoid robots participating in the opening ceremony. Intelligent wristbands are also been adopted, enabling navigation, check-ins, and interactive functions with a simple touch.