Business leaders, researchers and entrepreneurs from around the world gathered at the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), where discussions are focusing on turning AI innovation into cross-border partnerships and real-world applications.
The 2026 WAIC is running in Shanghai from Friday to Monday under the theme "AI Partnership for a Brighter Future."
Across the exhibition halls, conversations often extended beyond product demonstrations, with visitors exploring potential partnerships, supply chains and overseas expansion.
Among them was Paolo Brizzi, chief information officer of Italy's Competence Center for Industry and Manufacturing (CIM), who met with a Chinese AI company to discuss cooperation ranging from industrial applications to entering the European market.
"My point is not to be a customer or a provider of technologies, but to identify parts [where we can] actually collaborate and work together," he said.
The four-day conference has also created opportunities for startups to connect with investors, researchers and potential customers. One startup launched an online networking group on the opening day, attracting hundreds of participants who exchanged ideas, explored business opportunities and sought technical solutions.
Participants said AI innovation depends not only on technological breakthroughs but also on cooperation across industries and countries.
"Collaboration is important because alone you cannot do so much. It needs to be a team support ecosystem," said Florian Wohlrab, CEO of Canada-based OpenHW Foundation.
For many international visitors, the conference is also an opportunity to explore how AI can help address practical challenges. Omar Khan, a participant from Pakistan, said international cooperation is essential to ensuring AI benefits everyone.
"I think, for me, we are all the one. We're human and I think we can cooperate a lot," he said.
Some attendees were looking for solutions to challenges in their home countries. A visitor from Kenya said AI applications such as weather forecast and soil analysis could help improve agricultural productivity across many parts of Africa, where farming remains a cornerstone of the economy.
As countries race to advance AI technologies, participants at this year's WAIC said the conference has become a platform for connecting ideas, technology and demand across borders, helping turn AI innovation into practical international cooperation.
World AI Conference highlights growing demand for global AI partnership
Young men injured in Gaza’s war are staging football matches amid the rubble, balancing on crutches or single limbs to play with determination.
For them, the game is more than sport, it is a way to reclaim normalcy, channel resilience, and assert dignity in the face of devastation.
In a wasteland of destroyed buildings in Gaza City, 20‑year‑old Saif Bilal trains daily with his teammates. A lifelong football enthusiast, Bilal turned professional at 15 and seemed destined for the Palestinian national team. That dream ended on March 5, 2024, when an Israeli bullet struck his left leg as he fled strikes in Gaza. After a week of desperate medical interventions, spanning multiple hospitals, casts and steel plates, doctors were forced to amputate.
"At that moment, I felt that all my dreams were shattered. It wasn't just about football, but also my life ahead. Everything I had been striving for fell apart completely," said Bilal.
Bilal's tragedy is part of a staggering regional crisis. A World Health Organization report released last October showed that nearly 42,000 people in Gaza suffered severe injuries from the ongoing conflict, with over 5,000 facing amputations.
To pull these traumatized youths from the psychological brink, the "Gaza Will" football team was launched on Jan 1 this year. Composed entirely of amputees, the team uses grueling physical training and psychological counseling to help players rebuild their lives from scratch.
"'Gaza Will' is more than just a team, and more than just a concept. Through it, we hope to convey a spirit to the world: The will of Gaza is stronger than war. The will of Gaza is stronger than disability. The will of Gaza is stronger than any impossibility," said Hatim al-Maghrabi, head coach of the "Gaza Will" football team.
For Bilal, the pitch is a sanctuary — a place to breathe again, regain a sense of normal life, and take pride in scoring goals despite the loss of a leg.
"Every time I go to training, it feels like I'm finally able to breathe again, bringing me back to a normal life. It also allows me to vent emotions that have been pent up for a long time. Every goal I score makes me feel incredibly proud of myself. Even though one of my legs has been amputated, I can still score goals. This is my own glory," said Bilal.
Yet training in a war zone presents brutal challenges. Bilal relies on a single pair of crutches, and if they break, replacements are almost impossible to find. Jagged debris on Gaza’s roads can rip through what little protective gear remains.
Despite these obstacles, Bilal has never missed a training session. His persistence recently earned him a place on the Palestine National Amputee Football Team, where he will represent his country on the international stage.
"The reason we watch the World Cup is because we believe that one day, people will come to watch us play too. If we ever have the chance to meet those famous players, it would be our honor. In fact, we are football players just like them. The only difference is that they have two legs, while we only have one. If I really meet them, I will tell them that I wish to become someone just like them -- representing my own country on the field, while sharing our story with the whole world," said Bilal.
"To be honest, they are the ones who truly astound me. I have healthy legs and hands. But every time I see an amputee player fall down and stand right back up, pick up his crutches, keep chasing the football, and use every ounce of his strength to take a shot on goal, I feel as if he is telling everyone: 'I am not disabled. I can. I am able to do it, and I will do it," said al-Maghrabi.
Gaza’s amputee footballers defy war with unbroken resolve
