China Tech Giants Push Computing Limits as WAIC 2026 Opens in Shanghai

The 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC 2026) will open in Shanghai tomorrow, spotlighting a massive wave of homegrown AI systems and advanced robotics. A media preview today offered a first look at the highly anticipated highlights of the exhibition, covering both advanced AI infrastructures and consumer techs.

In Hall 2 of the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center, domestic tech giants are showcasing massive computing infrastructure designed to bypass global supply constraints.

Huawei's Atlas 950 SuperPod is making a public debut at WAIC 2026. This super-cluster AI system supports up to 1,024 AI computing cards, features an advanced thermal management system and is already optimized for applications across 11 major industries.

While Huawei's individual card performance still trails American rival Nvidia's H200, the system's ability to seamlessly interconnect 1,024 cards allows Chinese firms to effectively overcome hardware capacity bottlenecks. Demand for the Atlas 950 SuperPod is drastically outstripping supply, a booth official said.

Also making its debut is the Sugon 8000 "Dengfeng," a fully domestically developed 100,000-card AI supercluster from Sugon that achieves native, integrated convergence across diverse computing formats. Built to handle everything from scientific computing and large-model training to AI inference and industrial simulation, the Sugon 8000 features a revamped cabinet structure.

The system has already been integrated into the National Supercomputing Internet, opening its services to Chinese research institutions, universities, enterprises and individual users.

Both Huawei and Sugon's AI clusters are among the top 10 key highlights of WAIC 2026. Other notable high points include StepFun debuting what is billed as the world's first AI-native smartphone, and Ant Group showcasing humanoid robots that have already seen real-world deployment in pharmaceutical stores.

In Hall 3, a dedicated robotics zone is turning heads with a fleet of about 200 robots. The exhibition features live automation demonstrations aimed at reshaping both factory floors and consumer service industries.

Overseas giants like ABB, Google and Siemens have also set up booths at WAIC 2026.

Opening tomorrow for a four-day run, WAIC 2026 is shattering previous records. The conference features over 1,100 confirmed exhibitors who will display more than 3,000 innovative products, including 300 global debuts. The exhibition spans an unprecedented 100,000 square meters across venues in the Pudong New Area and Xuhui District.