China's open-source large models have gained global popularity and advanced the inclusive development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said ahead of his attendance at the 2026 World AI Conference (WAIC) and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai.
The conference is scheduled to run from July 17 to 20. The UN chief arrived in Shanghai on Thursday to attend the event.
In an interview with China Central Television (CCTV) ahead of the event, Guterres expressed his support for China's provision of open-source large language models so as to make accessibility more equitable globally.
"I've always been a supporter of open source. I think it's very important that what is discovered is put at the disposal of the international community as a whole in order to make sure that all can benefit. China has been very successful with its open source different algorithms and instruments, because they are now used by all countries in the world," said Guterres.
China proposed the Global AI Governance Initiative in 2023 and released the Global AI Governance Action Plan last year. According to Guterres, these actions should be promoted globally as a means of confronting the immense challenges associated with AI's development.
"Let's be honest, we are still in the beginning of a serious capacity of discussing global governance of AI because of the geopolitical divides. And I think the importance of initiatives like the one that starts tomorrow is exactly to establish bridges, is to bring countries together, because this cannot be done by country by country. This needs to be done globally. And AI has enormous potential, but has enormous risks. I think there is a common interest of humankind that there is a serious dialogue to make sure that AI doesn't become an existential risk for our societies," said the UN Secretary-General.
China's AI open-source products benefit all: UN chief
