World Internet Conference

Open source and openness for a shared future. Explore AI innovation at the 2026 WIC Wuzhen Summit, Nov 2-5. From the Wuzhen Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence to the Light of Internet Expo, discover how working together can bring the benefits of AI to more people.

Every journey brings a new perspective. During their study visit to Lishui, WlC Global Youth Leaders explored local culture, discovered the stories behind traditional heritage, and saw how digital technologies are creating new opportunities for rural development and cultural preservation. What left the biggest impression on them? Hear their stories and see Lishui through their eyes!

From charming ancient villages to beautiful tea gardens, Lishui offered our Global Youth Leaders a closer look at the connection between culture, nature and technology. Some journeys leave you with more than memories - they leave you with new ideas.

James Feng, general manager of Topnod (Jingtan), Ant Group, highlights that data sharing can help make cross-border cultural heritage digitalization sustainable. Bringing heritage into people's digital lives and encouraging people to use and share it also enables more people to participate in passing on cultural heritage.

In this interview, Ousman Bajinka, a senior lecturer at University of The Gambia, explains how AI can analyze patient data to identify areas for improvement and support better-informed decisions on drug prescriptions, including which medications to continue or discontinue.

Access to knowledge, experience, and technology matters especially for countries in the Global South. At the 2026 WIC Wuzhen Summit, Ignacio Araya, director of Citydiplomacy.org, shares how openness and collaboration can connect people across borders.

Flora Okine, junior support officer at the International Telecommunication Union, highlighted the need for international cooperation as technologies become more interconnected and AI brings new challenges. She also stressed the value of openness and sharing ideas across countries.

Jin Yun, head of Marketing and Communications at Siemens China, introduced Eigen, its first engineering agent. It automates code generation, hardware configuration, and interface design, cutting tasks that previously took engineers weeks or days to hours—or even minutes—freeing engineers to focus on innovative solutions.

How can openness carry AI innovation forward? At the 2026 WIC Wuzhen Summit, speakers explored wider participation, sharing experience and collective responsibility for AI safety. Watch highlights from the Wuzhen Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence.

AI’s next step? From the virtual world to the physical one. At the 2026 WIC Wuzhen Summit, Antonino Emanuele Scurria, a WIC Global Youth Leader, pointed to robots and digital twins of cities as examples of how that shift could happen.

AI is opening new possibilities for solo entrepreneurs. At the 2026 WIC Wuzhen Summit, Marko Mendieta, founder and director of Mision Ecuador foundation, shared his vision of inclusive technology that creates jobs and improves lives.

AI can translate a word, but not the culture behind it, Elena Avramidou, professor at Ionian University, said at the Forum on Digital Preservation and Transmission of Cultural Heritage on Nov 4, during the 2026 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit.

How can soil data help smallholder farmers? Lilan Dayananda, CEO of Sri Lankan agro-tech company Elzian Agro, shares his approach and views on open collaboration and personal data protection, echoing the World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit's focus on openness.

Someone in China learns French. Someone in France learns Chinese. At the 2026 WIC Wuzhen Summit, Stephen Chao-An Chen, Duolingo's general counsel, shares how language learning brings people and cultures into closer connection.

At the 2026 WIC Wuzhen Summit, Gao Zhikai, a renowned Chinese academic, shared his view that AI and the internet should promote progress and serve the public good, and that international cooperation can help protect the continuity of civilizations, cultures, and traditions.

Alain Aina, AfNOG co-founder, highlighted how open technologies and open source have helped build Africa's internet and nurture local engineering talent. He called for partnerships based on joint development and shared responsibilities to strengthen local capacity.

Three years ago large models were mainly used for chatting; today they design chips, Feng Wen, chief architect and head of Open Platform at MiniMax, said at the Wuzhen Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence on Nov 3, during the 2026 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit.

Nurbolat Nyshanbayev, director of the Higher School of International Relations and Diplomacy, Turan University, highlighted just how AI and data analysis can improve students' learning experiences, emphasizing that the internet should be a tool for their development, not an obstacle to their careers.

Trust, not technology, is slowing AI deployment, John Higgins, chair of the International AI Governance Association, said at the Wuzhen Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence on Nov 3, during the 2026 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit. Open source needs standards, he added.

Young people need a space to share their ideas with public institutions and businesses and work together on solutions, says Laura Iancu, a 2026 World Internet Conference global youth leader. She sees the WIC as a place to turn ideas into action.