The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday commended China's endeavor in developing artificial intelligence (AI) as the country aims to build a better world for all with the cutting-edge technology.
The UN secretary-general is in Shanghai for the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance which opened in Shanghai on Friday.
After the opening ceremony, Guterres toured the AI exhibition at the venue, exchanged with Chinese AI professionals and interacted with a humanoid robot on the spot.
He praised China for its collaboration with other countries to bring the benefit of AI to all.
"It is a fantastic new world, but the new world to the benefit of people. It's not machines for machines. It's machines that are conceived to support people and to allow for everybody to benefit, not just a few. And this is what is beautiful in the cooperation that the People's Republic of China is establishing with other countries," said Guterres.
UN chief hails China's AI push for benefit of mankind
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said Friday in Shanghai that artificial intelligence could become humanity’s greatest opportunity in the 21st century, as he praised China’s leadership in global AI governance.
Guterres was addressing the opening ceremony of the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance.
"Artificial intelligence can be humanity's greatest opportunity in the 21st century. As the conference theme reminds us, a brighter future depends on partnerships, and I thank China for bringing us together in that spirit. The launch by President Xi in 2023 of the Global AI Governance Initiative was a very strong message of Chinese commitment and leadership, and WAICO (World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization) is its natural development. Few areas hold greater promise for our common future than the application of AI to sustainable development. The challenge before us is to ensure that artificial intelligence becomes a force for greater inclusion and shared progress. China has an essential role to play, and so do all of us," he said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech at the event. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul also addressed the ceremony.
The 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance runs from Friday to Monday, bringing together officials, representatives, business leaders, scholars and researchers from more than 100 countries and international organizations.
UN chief highlights AI as humanity's greatest opportunity, lauds China's role
