AI's human side comes into focus

As Bill Reichert walked through the exhibition halls of the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, demonstrations of AR glasses offering real-time Chinese-English subtitles caught his attention.

Reichert, a partner at US-based Pegasus Tech Ventures, called the experience a "wow moment". The technology showed him how AI could make it easier for people to communicate across language barriers.

"It's as if I were anywhere else in the world that actually speaks English," he said.

The 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance was held in Shanghai from July 17 to 20 under the theme "AI Partnership for a Brighter Future".

The exhibition brought together more than 1,100 companies, and over 300 AI products made their global debuts.

Reichert was among the international guests attending the conference. Having first visited China around 2012, Reichert has since traveled to places including Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen and Hong Kong. Those experiences have given him a broader perspective on how technology is reshaping innovation and communication worldwide.

"AI is going to flatten the world in terms of anybody, anywhere, being able to connect with anyone in any language. And that's a big deal," he said.

For Edwin Montealegre, a Costa Rican conductor and director of Shanghai Monestel Music Productions, AI has already become part of his creative process.

A graduate of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Montealegre was attending the conference for the second time. He noticed a change in emphasis this year.

"Before, the focus was on how to use AI. But now, AI is no longer just a device or a tool — it has become part of our everyday lives," he said.

As a music director, Montealegre is responsible not only for conducting, but also for organizing rehearsals and preparing performance materials. With AI assistance, some administrative tasks that once took days can be completed in hours or even minutes.

"I even use AI to brainstorm ideas," he said. "It gives me more time for artistic inspiration, for connecting with people, and for myself."

While Montealegre emphasized creativity, Tong Huiqi focused on care.

Tong, a clinical psychologist and clinical professor at Stanford School of Medicine, said that while many young people are turning to AI for emotional support, human judgment must remain central.

"AI cannot work independently," she said, adding that humans must ultimately decide what is appropriate, where its limits should be and whether it is helping.

In her clinical work, Tong uses an AI-assisted documentation system during consultations. By reducing the need to take notes throughout a session, the tool helps her give patients her full attention.

"My clients actually love it because AI allows me to be 100 percent connected with them rather than jotting down notes," she said.

Her experience illustrates both the value and the limits of the technology. AI can take over a routine task and create more room for human attention, but decisions about care, boundaries and responsibility must remain with people.

The same combination of greater capability and human direction is reshaping entrepreneurship, according to Rupert Hoogewerf, chairman and chief researcher of Hurun Report.

Through the Hurun Uth Series — including its Under25s, Under30s, Under35s and Under40s rankings — Hoogewerf has been following a generation of young entrepreneurs. He said about 800 entrepreneurs were featured across the series this year, with around 30 presenting innovations at the conference in areas including robotics and AI.

"You can feel that the government is really encouraging young people to explore AI, understand it, use it and think about how to make it better," he said.

Hurun's research also shows how rapidly wealth creation is changing in China: 70 percent of the country's billionaires on this year's Hurun Global Rich List were not on the list a decade ago.

"They are the new faces of China — from AI and computer chips to new energy and other emerging industries. They have just come onto the scene," Hoogewerf said.

At the conference, he met entrepreneurs using AI tools to run one-person companies, as well as businesses applying AI in traditional fields such as metals and minerals analysis.

"There is a massive transformation going on," he said. "You can apply AI in lots of different places."

Gary Dvorchak, managing director of The Blueshirt Group Asia, has also seen AI improve efficiency in his industry. He said the technology had reduced costs and sped up work in ways he had not anticipated.

What struck him most at the event, however, was not a particular product. It was the willingness among the exhibitors, entrepreneurs and visitors he encountered to experiment with the technology.

"There's no fear of AI here. Everyone is embracing it and thinking about how they can use it to make life better," he said.

Yet Dvorchak said the activity in the exhibition halls reinforced a more fundamental point. AI could support people's work, but people were still the ones exchanging ideas, asking questions and making decisions.

No matter how advanced the technology becomes, he said, it remains a tool.

"People are more important in the era of AI than they were in the past," he said.

Contact the writers at mengwenjie@i21st.cn