WAIC 2026 Closes With Record Attendance, Major Upgrades

The 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference & High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance (WAIC 2026) concluded in Shanghai today, marking a significant milestone since its inception in 2018 with record-breaking visitor traffic and an unprecedented surge in global product debuts.

The four-day event generated impressive numbers and sparked major strategic announcements, including new investment plans, cross-border cooperative projects, and city-level AI development strategies.

Despite hot and rainy weather, the event drew an estimated 400,000 visits – a 14.3 percent increase compared with last year. The sprawling exhibition covered more than 100,000 square meters, featuring 1,117 exhibitors who showcased 4,486 products. Among them, a record 351 products made their global debuts on the WAIC 2026 floor.

It also served as a major engine for commercial activity. A total of 177 enterprise procurement groups attended, reaching an intended deal volume of 20.36 billion yuan (US$2.8 billion) – a 25 percent jump from 2025.

At the closing ceremony, officials oversaw the signing of dozens of major Shanghai municipal AI projects spanning large models, robotics and data infrastructure.

Highlights of the ceremony included the formal inauguration of the Shanghai Institute for Physical AI and Robotics; the launch of the 2026 Shanghai International Embodied Intelligence Competition; the rollout of the UniAI initiative, which connects Shanghai with cutting-edge AI projects; and a 2026-2030 "one-stop" financial support platform for innovative startups.

Closing out the event, Chen Jie, vice mayor of Shanghai, expressed his gratitude to all visitors, delegates and international participants, confirming that the city looks forward to hosting global guests again at WAIC 2027.