Humanoid robots designed to grasp human intentions and artificial intelligence (AI) tools that let users co-create virtual worlds were among the highlights of the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai.
The 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance, which ran from Friday to Monday, brought together official representatives, business leaders, scholars and researchers from more than 100 countries and international organizations. It included 140 forum sessions, with more than 1,100 enterprises presenting over 3,000 products at the event.
Cutting-edge technologies from foundation models and humanoid robots to AI agents demonstrated how artificial intelligence is weaving itself into the fabric of daily life. One phrase kept coming up throughout the conference: AI is no longer just a tool, it is becoming an intelligent companion.
At the Fourier Intelligence booth, a humanoid robot named Xiaoye showcased how machines are moving beyond simple command execution to understanding human intentions.
The robot can interpret natural language requests, such as "I'm thirsty", locate the water in the environment, and deliver it to the user. "All users need to do is say something simple, such as 'I'm hungry' or 'I'm thirsty', in a natural way. It can understand that when you say 'I'm thirsty,' what you need is a drink. Then it can locate the water in the environment and bring it back to you. In other words, the robot is shifting from following commands to understanding intentions. This is truly what we call intelligent companionship," said Serin Chen, senior manager of the Strategic Communication Department of Shanghai Fourier Intelligence Co. Fourier Intelligence has also redesigned the robot's appearance and materials to make it more approachable. The robot is no longer a cold machine of metal and steel, it features an upgraded soft-wrap material with custom inner foam, making it comfortable to touch.
A pat on the head is interpreted as affection, while a touch on the belly becomes a playful interaction.
"If robots are truly going to enter people's daily lives, it needs to feel warm and approachable. At the same time, it shouldn't make people feel uncomfortable or intimidated," said Chen.
The evolving relationship between humans and AI is not limited to the physical world. At the PixVerse booth, a real-time video generation and rendering technology demonstrated how AI is turning users into co-creators of virtual worlds.
Traditional games require lengthy development and rendering processes that can take a year or longer, but the new system allows users to instantly turn their ideas and creativity into playable experiences.
"The major difference is that traditional games require a long process of development and rendering to create all the visual assets. Designing the gameplay and completing the rendering process can take a year or even longer. But our technology is based on real-time video generation and rendering to create games. This allows users to instantly turn their ideas and creativity into playable experiences," said Jaden Xie, co-founder and president of PixVerse.
AI companions, virtual world tools showcased at WAIC 2026
