China's AI, robotics tech draw praise in Canada

China's strengths in artificial intelligence and robotics drew praise at the FIRA RoboWorld Cup in Canada, with organizers and attendees calling for closer international cooperation and openness.

The 31st FIRA RoboWorld Cup & AI Summit, which opened on July 17 in Markham, Ontario, attracted more than 1,000 participants from more than 20 countries and regions for five days of competitions and AI-related activities.

"This is the first time the FIRA RoboWorld Cup has happened in Canada," said Samia Karimi, president of FIRA Canada.

Asked about China's robotics and AI development, Karimi said the country has established itself as a global leader in both fields.

"China is always very strong in the AI industry and also in robotics," he told China Daily.

"We don't know who will be the winner, but Chinese teams are always working so hard to get the best results," he said.

Among those teams were Wang Yichen, 15, and Qiu Zeshui, 16, from Chengdu, Sichuan province, competing in the U19 division against older students from around the world.

Although they have studied robotics for several years, the international competition presents challenges that cannot be fully anticipated.

Unlike many domestic contests, teams do not know the exact tasks in advance and must prepare for multiple possibilities.

"There were many difficulties," Wang said. "We didn't know what the tasks would be, so we could only make guesses and prepare based on previous years' competitions."

After competing alongside teams from around the world for the first time, Wang said he found the gap smaller than he had expected.

"The gap isn't that big," he said.

Maria Sun, cochair of the FIRA RoboWorld Cup, said AI has reached a stage where rapid technological advances make international cooperation increasingly important, while also raising new governance challenges.

She said issues including privacy protection, transparency and AI safety require joint efforts from governments, industry and researchers.

AI should be developed through openness rather than isolation, Sun said.

"AI belongs to all humanity. That is why sharing and cooperation are essential," she told China Daily.

Exchanging ideas

She said the competition itself reflects that philosophy by bringing together young competitors from more than 20 countries to exchange ideas while competing.

Sun also welcomed China's efforts to expand AI cooperation with developing countries.

"China's efforts to promote AI cooperation with developing countries are very encouraging. International exchanges like these help bring more countries into the AI era and create opportunities for broader collaboration," she said.

She added that China's openness in AI development would benefit technological progress worldwide.

"Today, China is one of the global leaders in artificial intelligence, and its continued openness will help drive innovation and international cooperation," she said.

Former Canadian senator Hu Zixiu also said international cooperation will be essential as AI technologies continue to advance.

Hu said countries should work together to establish a globally recognized framework for AI governance.

"Countries around the world need to work together to establish a common governance system for AI. It should be a framework that all countries recognize and can follow."

gaoyang@chinadailyusa.com