Building an AI future shared by all

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping production, governance and daily life. President Xi Jinping's address at the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai gave this transformation a clear direction by placing openness, security, cultural diversity and international cooperation at the center of global AI development.

President Xi's four observations present a practical framework for ensuring that AI benefits all countries even though they may have different political systems, economic structures and cultural traditions. This is especially important for the Global South. Many developing countries are adopting AI, but access to advanced computing, technical expertise and standards remains uneven.

China's approach addresses this imbalance through cooperation rather than exclusion. By combining innovation with capacity building, Beijing is helping developing countries participate in the AI era on more equal terms.

The initiatives announced in Shanghai underscore that commitment. China will provide 5,000 AI training and seminar opportunities for developing countries over the next five years, establish international AI application cooperation centers with major regional organizations, and help 30 countries use the AI-powered meteorological warning system MAZU.

Training is one of the most effective ways to broaden participation in technology. China's initiative can help create a larger pool of professionals who can understand, evaluate, and deploy AI, strengthening domestic institutions while building long-term cooperation across Asia, Africa, the Arab world, and Latin America.

The proposed cooperation centers will help deepen that effort by creating platforms for joint research, technical exchange, local-language development and practical experimentation.

MAZU demonstrates how this model works in practice. AI-powered meteorological early warning can improve preparedness for floods, storms, droughts and extreme weather while protecting lives and reducing economic losses. It also shows how China is converting AI capacity into a global public good for vulnerable communities.

China's broad industrial base gives it a distinctive role in global AI cooperation. Beyond developing models, China is integrating AI into production systems and public services on a large scale, creating an innovation model closely tied to economic development.

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development projects that the global AI market could reach $4.8 trillion by 2033. Such growth makes inclusive participation an economic necessity, not merely a policy concern.

If most countries remain mere consumers of AI, inequality will deepen and global growth will weaken. A future built around shared capability would expand markets, enhance productivity, and create new opportunities for cooperation.

China's emphasis on openness directly addresses this challenge by promoting open-source development, international exchange, and wider access to AI applications, helping more countries adapt AI to their specific needs.

President Xi's call to resist the excessive expansion of national security concepts is equally significant. Security is essential, but it should not be used to justify technological blockades or preserve monopolies.

An AI landscape divided into rival blocs would increase costs, fragment standards and reduce opportunities for developing economies. China's approach, however, emphasizes cooperation, mutual benefit and respect for national choices.

Cultural diversity is equally important. AI cannot serve humanity effectively if it is built around only a few languages, datasets and social experiences. Incorporating cultural diversity into datasets, models and applications will make AI more accurate, more useful and more representative.

President Xi's emphasis on mutual learning among civilizations highlights a broader principle: AI should strengthen cultural expression rather than impose a single technological template on societies with different histories and identities.

China's growing investment in open models, application platforms and international cooperation creates practical space for this diversity.

Developing countries can use these opportunities to build systems more closely aligned with their own languages and public needs.

Global governance must support this objective. AI rules should reflect the interests of both technologically advanced economies and developing countries.

President Xi's call for a stronger UN role points toward more inclusive AI governance beyond rival technological camps.

The World Bank has emphasized that meaningful AI adoption depends on connectivity, computing capacity, local context, and technical competence. China's initiatives address these foundations through training, cooperation, open development and infrastructure partnerships.

The Shanghai agenda stands out for linking governance with implementation and connecting global principles with national needs.

President Xi's leadership has given strategic clarity. AI should remain under human control, serve development and advance through cooperation, giving the Global South not only access to new tools, but also a stronger voice in shaping the global AI order.

The future of AI will be defined not only by technological power, but by whether it improves lives across regions and levels of development.

China's proposals suggest a path in which openness, capacity building, cultural respect and practical cooperation can make AI a shared engine of global progress rather than a privilege of the few.

The author is the executive director of PARA Syndicate, a Jakarta-based independent think tank.

The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.