The Light of the Internet Expo, one of the main events of the World Internet Conference (Wic), took place among the canals of the historic city of Wuzhen, in Zhejiang province. For the first time, the fair has set up an area entirely dedicated to artificial intelligence experiences, with interactive attractions that allow visitors to observe first-hand the capabilities of AI in creating music or images.
According to data reported by Cgtn, the Expo attracted over 660 companies from various parts of the world, which presented new technologies based on artificial intelligence. According to the head of the fair’s working group, Xu Zhaoxi, this year the event would have set the record both for the number of foreign exhibitors and for the total number of participants. Furthermore, the Wuzhen Summit was held from 19 to 22 November, focusing on the future of the relationship between AI and people and organized with the collaboration of international organizations such as the United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs. In addition to the main event, 24 “sub-summits” were also organized focusing on topics such as the digital economy, open-source ecosystem development, data governance, AI innovation and governance, and digital future.
As for the technologies that made their debut during the fair, we remember intelligent robot dogs, unmanned patrol cars with a load capacity of 280 kilos and drone boats equipped with 5G and designed to navigate between channels Wuzhen.
This year some new features have also been introduced, such as the Wic Distinguished Contribution Award, which celebrates worldwide achievements in Internet technology. Furthermore, out of 270 applications from 24 countries, 20 projects received the Wic Awards for Pioneering Science and Technology. Furthermore, a permanent special committee on artificial intelligence and a collaboration program with around 60 think tanks will be created, charged with promoting discussions on the impact of the network at a global level.
Finally, during the WIC, the China Internet Development Report 2024 was also presented, according to which the People’s Republic has created almost 10 thousand intelligent factories and digitalized workshops throughout the country. According to what is reported in the document, 421 of these facilities have been designated “demonstration” of smart manufacturing at a national level. In the same dossier, Internet trends in 52 countries and regions were analyzed across key metrics, including digital innovation, infrastructure and cybersecurity.
The study found that despite multiple upgrades and adoptions of new technologies, challenges remain.
One of these is represented precisely by the development of artificial intelligence which, according to the AI Index 2023 report by Stanford University, has been concentrated above all in the world of industry, where 51 prominent machine learning models have been produced compared to just 15 developed in the academic field.