The 2025 Plenary and the 2nd Meeting of Chairs of the World Internet Conference Specialized Committee on AI kicked off in Wuzhen, Zhejiang province on Nov 6.

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

The 2025 Plenary and the 2nd Meeting of Chairs of the World Internet Conference Specialized Committee on AI kicks off in Wuzhen, Zhejiang province on Nov 6.  [Photo/wicinternet.org]

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

As the WIC's first specialized and permanently established subsidiary body, the AI Committee has been dedicated since its inception in 2024 to building an international platform for AI exchange and cooperation. Over the past year, on the basis of its three Standards Program, AI Safety and Governance Program, and Industry Program, the Committee has strengthened itself through thematic forums and collaborative research projects. It has also facilitated the release of international public goods and promoted the global sharing of AI development outcomes, thereby further elevating its profile, professional standing, and influence.

The 2025 Plenary Meeting endorsed the proposed additions to the list of vice chairs and initiative leaders for the Committee's inaugural term. The newly appointed vice chairs include senior AI representatives from WIC members such as 360 Group, Ant Group, TMTpost, and Keeson Technology Co. The Second Meeting of Chairs reviewed and approved the Committee's 2025 Work Report along with the draft of the 2026 Work Plan.

The 2025 Plenary and the 2nd Meeting of Chairs of the World Internet Conference Specialized Committee on AI kicks off in Wuzhen, Zhejiang province on Nov 6.  [Photo/wicinternet.org]

Reports on the 2025 work summaries and 2026 work plans for each initiative were presented respectively by Wei Kai, lead of the Standards Program, and director of the AI Research Institute at the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, together with John Higgins, president of the International Association of AI Governance; Zeng Yi, lead of the AI Safety and Governance Program, who also serves as director of the International Research Center for AI Ethics and Governance of the Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and dean of Beijing Institute of AI Safety and Governance; and Sun Maosong, lead of the Industry Program, member of the European Academy of Sciences, and executive vice dean of the Institute for AI at Tsinghua University.

In 2025, the Committee's inaugural term saw its membership expand to over 190 experts. Through its three dedicated programs, the Committee organized more than 10 meetings centered on key topics such as AI for science, AI for healthcare, global AI standardization progress, AI governance and sustainable development, and designing global AI safety and governance systems, yielding three substantive research outcomes.

Looking ahead to 2026, the Committee will focus its work on themes such as developing responsible AI, identification and collaborative governance of frontier AI safety risks, AI development, and AI empowering life. It will continue to harness its platform strengths by convening seminars, publishing findings, promoting international dialogue and collaboration, and contributing expertise to global AI development and governance. 

Chinese Academy of Engineering Academician Zhang Yaqin also delivers concluding remarks at the event.  [Photo/wicinternet.org]

Besides Wang Jian, Chinese Academy of Engineering Academician Zhang Yaqin also delivered concluding remarks at the event, stating that the Committee will continue to consolidate the efforts and wisdom of industry and experts, actively participate in international governance, promote human-centric and beneficial AI technologies, and contribute insights to global AI development and governance.