Int'l experts hail China's AI development at Wuzhen summit in east China

Artificial intelligence (AI) has undergone rapid development in China and has transformed the future of work for professionals, according to experts attending the 2024 World Internet Conference (WIC) Wuzhen Summit in the ancient water town of Wuzhen in east China's Zhejiang Province.

The 2024 edition, themed "Embracing a People-centered and AI-for-good Digital Future -- Building a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace," features 24 sub-forums on topics such as the Global Development Initiative, digital economy and AI technology governance, along with a series of activities.

As part of the WIC Wuzhen Summit, the Light of Internet Expo kicked off on Tuesday. The event has drawn an impressive lineup of 665 domestic and international companies and institutions from 53 countries and regions, highlighting the latest advancements in AI technology.

Speaking to China Global Television Network (CGTN) on the sidelines of the expo, international experts shared their insights into China's rapid AI development and its critical role in transforming industries.

"What impressed me the most is the development of the local model. It started very late and is already catching up with the world leader. China has a lot of very talented engineers that help us achieve many projects. The frontier and the border is not a challenge for developing AI models, especially we have a lot of open source models and our local models, so we can work very well with China market," said Frederic Bazin, CEO of Coderbunker, a community of international software developers.

"China is leading the way a lot in AI. We were with Shanghai's top AI technology company. They're called DeepBlue Technology. We've been working with them for nearly 10 years, and they do develop cleaning robots. For example, Marriott hotels in the USA are using DeepBlue robots to clean all their hotels," said Cliff Hegan, the managing director of human resources consulting firm Fitco.

This year's WIC Wuzhen Summit kicked off on Wednesday and is scheduled to close on Friday.

Int'l experts hail China's AI development at Wuzhen summit in east China

Thousands of people in Pakistan have taken to the streets to stage protests following the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

A large rally was held outside one of Islamabad's largest Shiite imambargahs on Friday to protest the killing of Khamenei on the first day of the current U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28. Demonstrators are chanting slogans against the U.S. and Israel, holding portraits of the slain Iranian leader and waving flags in solidarity with Iran.

Religious leaders addressing the crowd said the demonstrations are intended to express solidarity and condemn what they described as aggression by Israel and the United States.

Roads surrounding the area have been blocked with shipping containers, while heavy security has been deployed as authorities attempt to control the crowds and prevent the protests from spilling into nearby diplomatic districts.

The killing of Khamenei has sparked demonstrations across Pakistan and in other parts of the Muslim world. Within Pakistan's Shiite community in particular, Iran's leadership is widely viewed as a powerful symbol of resistance in the region.

In several cities nationwide, protests have already turned violent, with clashes between demonstrators and security forces leaving dozens dead and injured. Authorities have since heightened security around foreign missions and other sensitive locations.

Protests erupt in Pakistan over U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran