World Internet Conference 2025 Convenes: Focus on AI, Security and Global Cooperation

The 2025 World Internet Conference (WIC), China's premier annual internet gathering, is underway in the ancient watertown of Wuzhen. Running from Thursday to Sunday, the high-level event brings together tech firms and experts to discuss the transformative impact of artificial intelligence, evolving cybersecurity threats and the need for stronger global technological cooperation.

The conference theme, "Forging an Open, Cooperative, Secure and Inclusive Future of Digital Intelligence – Building a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace," frames the discussions across an opening ceremony and 24 sub-forums. The event has attracted over 1,600 participants from more than 130 countries and regions.

The speaker roster features leading figures in Chinese tech, including Liu Qiangdong, Chairman of JD.com; Eddie Wu, CEO of Alibaba and Zhang Chaoyang, Chairman of Sohu. A spotlight is a panel on the "Six Little Dragons," a group of promising, Hangzhou-based startups seen as the "surge of China tech powers." These innovators include the developers behind the Unitree humanoid robots,blockbuster game Black Myth: Wukong and shining AI model DeepSeek.

The WIC also hosts the Light of Internet Expo, where more than 600 domestic and overseas enterprises are showcasing over 1,000 cutting-edge AI technology products. Major global players like Alibaba, Huawei, Tencent, Microsoft and Kaspersky are among the exhibitors.

Anton Ivanov, Chief Technology Officer of Kaspersky, addressed new trends and threats in the AI era, including the danger of Deepfakes.

Kaspersky, which blocked over 85 million malicious cyber links in 2024 alone, showcased its work in threat intelligence, industrial security and AI technology R&D. The company has an open approach to global cooperation and a partnership with Alibaba Cloud in China. It now focuses its research on AI cybersecurity, generative AI, and AI-driven threat detection.

Nasdaq-listed Aurora Mobile featured its EngageLab platform, which specializes in enterprise-level customer engagement and marketing automation, utilizing AI-driven solutions for multi-channel outreach. EngageLab's cumulative contract value surged 265 percent year-over-year, with its customer base expanding to 1,058 clients across 45 countries and regions worldwide including a 210-client surge in the second quarter alone.

Further underscoring its international focus, Aurora Mobile launched its new enterprise AI solution GPTBots, targeting overseas markets. The product attracted nearly 70,000 registered users globally by the end of the second quarter, with over 90 percent of users originating from outside China.

Ma Chao, Vice President of Public Affairs of Aurora Mobile, stated that overseas business is the company's major growth engine in the future, with a focus on markets in Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia), Japan and Europe. He cited Malaysian telecom operators already leveraging their AI technology as a key example.