Visitors watch robots playing football during the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai, east China, July 18, 2026. (Xinhua/Chen Haoming)
The 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance, scheduled from Friday to Monday, showcases exhibitions of smart devices, AI plus culture and entertainment experiences, and a wide range of cutting-edge AI products, among which a range of humanoid robots and AI-powered dexterous hands are among the highlights.
During the event, a variety of intelligent robots adaptable to diverse scenarios for industrial production and daily life are displayed. Notably, the country’s annual output of humanoid robots is projected to exceed 100,000 units this year.
A visitor interacts with a small robot during the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai, east China, July 18, 2026. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe)A robot makes a balloon toy during the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai, east China, July 18, 2026. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe)Visitors watch a robot performing traditional tea art during the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai, east China, July 18, 2026. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe)A robot plays table tennis during the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai, east China, July 18, 2026. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe)Visitors watch a robot demonstrating item sorting ability during the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai, east China, July 18, 2026. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe)Visitors watch “Xia Lan,” a humanoid robot with lifelike skin, blinking eyes as well as a warm and soothing voice, during the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai, east China, July 18, 2026. (Xinhua/Chen Haoming)A small robot is pictured during the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai, east China, July 18, 2026. (Xinhua/Wang Xiang)A robot performs during the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai, east China, July 18, 2026. (Xinhua/Wang Xiang)A visitor poses for a photo with a humanoid robot during the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai, east China, July 17, 2026. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)A visitor takes photos for a robot combining performative features with interactive capabilities during the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai, east China, July 18, 2026. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)A companion robot is pictured during the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai, east China, July 18, 2026. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)A “robot volunteer” receives an interview during the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai, east China, July 18, 2026. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe)A robot makes a balloon toy during the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai, east China, July 18, 2026. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe)A GD-01 robot of Unitree is pictured during the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai, east China, July 18, 2026. (Xinhua/Chen Haoming)
Zamir Ahmed Awan is the founder and Chair of the Global Silk Route Research Alliance,
a think tank in Islamabad. He studied engineering at Shanghai University in the 1980s, and years later he went
back to China as Pakistan's science counsellor in Beijing, from 2010 until 2016,
working on science and higher education cooperation between the two countries.…
