China Unveils AI Vision As Robots Rule WAIC 2025

The future of artificial intelligence (AI) wasn’t just imagined at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC)—it was on full display, with walking, talking, and backflipping robots. 

First launched in 2018, the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) is China’s premier annual AI event, bringing together global tech leaders, researchers, and policymakers to showcase innovations and explore the future of AI, governance, and industrial applications. 

Over 800 companies and thousands of attendees packed into the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center from July 26–29, 2025, for the eighth edition of WAIC, where China delivered a dual message to the world: we lead in tech, and we want to lead in artificial intelligence (AI) governance too. 

This was evident in Chinese Premier Li Qiang's opening address, where he proposed the formation of a global AI cooperation organization, a diplomatic play backed by a 13-point action plan. The initiative pushes for open-source collaboration, inclusive development, and a UN-led governance framework that seeks to level the playing field for AI access globally. 

The Year Humanoid Robots Took Over  

And then came the robots. 

This year’s WAIC didn’t just talk about embodied AI—it brought it to life. The exhibition floor buzzed with kinetic energy as humanoid robots boxed in rings, robotic dogs executed backflips, and autonomous machines peeled eggs, served snacks, and navigated dense crowds. Over 80 robotics firms—up from just 18 last year—filled the space with movement, purpose, and spectacle. 

Hangzhou-based Quadruped robotics maker Unitree drew attention with its affordable US$6,000 humanoid robot, while TikTok parent company ByteDance showcased its robot dog Mini performing household chores in a slick video. Industrial tech group Shanghai Electric made headlines with SUYUAN, its first-ever industrial humanoid robot—fully self-developed, equipped with 38 degrees of freedom (or DoF, which refers to the number of independently movable joints), and capable of dynamic tasks in logistics and assembly-line settings. 

In a clear signal that robots are moving from labs to loading docks, Shanghai Electric unveiled its industrial humanoid robot SUYUAN—a warehouse-ready machine with 38 degrees of freedom, AI onboard, and a top speed of 5 kilometers per hour. Early tests showed SUYUAN handling mixed-size crate relocation with surprising ease. 

Not everyone was convinced, though, and on one panel, venture capitalists acknowledged the enthusiasm but questioned the depth, with one panelist remarking that it all felt “for show on the stage.” The comment came from Alex Zhou, a partner at Shanghai-based Qiming Venture, after he asked two startup founders about their use cases.

Still, even skepticism couldn’t dampen the sense that something big was shifting. 

Big Tech’s AI Playbook 

China’s tech titans used the WAIC spotlight to flex their AI muscle, with Huawei showcasing its CloudMatrix 384 cluster, powered entirely by homegrown chips—a bold move to reduce reliance on US tech. Alibaba, on the other hand, debuted the Quark AI Glasses, a multimodal wearable using its Qwen large language model (LLM), due for release in China by year-end. It also revealed an AI automotive assistant in partnership with Qualcomm and Banma. 

Others, like Tencent, entered the 3D AI space with the Hunyuan World Model 1.0, allowing users to generate interactive 3D environments from text or images—a win for gaming and VR creatives. And finally, SenseTime showcased its SenseNova V6.5, which claimed performance parity—or superiority—over Google’s Gemini 2.5 Pro and Claude 4-Sonnet. 

Alliances, Ethics, And Ecosystem Building  

WAIC also saw the birth of two notable alliances. The Model-Chip Ecosystem Innovation Alliance, which is aimed at reducing China’s reliance on foreign AI hardware, and a new AI Committee from the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce, which focuses on boosting enterprise adoption across manufacturing and services. 

Panels featuring voices from Tsinghua, Oxford, UC Berkeley, Microsoft, and tackled hot-button issues, including the fragmentation of global standards, the potential for uncontrolled AI development, and the urgent need for a shared regulatory framework. 

Why It Matters For MENA

With China pushing both AI infrastructure and international AI policy, the global South—including economies across the MENA region—stands to benefit from a more multipolar tech future. As regional governments and startups double down on AI adoption, WAIC 2025 underscores the need to stay plugged into both the innovation and the regulation shaping tomorrow’s landscape. 

Pictured in the lead image are the Alibaba Quark Glasses unveiled at WAIC 2025. Courtesy Creative Commons. Video courtesy WAIC. 

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