A sign at 2024 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit in Wuzhen, Zhejiang Province, China, November 20, 2024. /CFP
The 2024 World Internet Conference (WIC) Wuzhen Summit concluded its four-day session in Wuzhen, Zhejiang Province, China, on Friday, with more than 1,800 guests from over 130 countries and regions participating.
Enhancing cooperation and gathering innovative potential were key features at this year's WIC, said Ren Xianliang, secretary-general of the WIC.
The 2024 edition, themed "Embracing a People-Centered and AI-For-Good Digital Future – Building a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace," included 24 sub-forums on topics such as Global Development Initiative, the digital economy and artificial intelligence (AI) technology governance, along with a series of exhibition and activities.
More than 40 large AI models and vertical large AI models were showcased at the Light of Internet Expo held during the WIC which attracted 665 enterprises from 53 countries and regions such as Russia, France, Germany, the UK and Singapore.
People can not only interact with the latest AI products but also find industrial cooperation opportunities at the expo.
Visitors interact with intelligent robots at the Light of Internet Expo in Wuzhen, Zhejiang Province, China, November 21, 2024. /CFP
China is home to almost 10,000 digitalized workshops and smart factories nationwide, according to a report released by the Chinese Academy of Cyberspace Studies during the forum, highlighting the transformative role of AI in driving industry digitalization in China.
By the end of 2023, China held 378,000 valid AI invention patents, an annual growth of 40 percent – 1.4 times the global average growth rate, according to the report.