SHANGHAI, July 17 — In a move that signals growing momentum toward multilateral coordination on artificial intelligence governance, representatives from 29 countries gathered here on Thursday to sign an agreement establishing the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO), a new body designed to set ethical standards, facilitate research collaboration and help developing economies build domestic AI capabilities.
The signing ceremony, held on the eve of the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), brings together nations from Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe under a framework that Chinese officials describe as a response to what they term the emerging “AI divide” — the risk that artificial intelligence could entrench rather than reduce global inequality if access to the technology remains concentrated among a handful of wealthy economies.
The agreement outlines four pillars for the new organization. First, it commits signatories to develop shared ethical guidelines for AI development and deployment, addressing concerns around bias, privacy, safety and misuse. Second, it establishes mechanisms for cross-border talent exchange and joint research initiatives, particularly in areas like AI safety testing and alignment research. Third, it creates a capacity-building program through which advanced AI economies will provide technical assistance, training and infrastructure support to developing nations. Fourth, it sets up a consultative forum where member states can coordinate positions ahead of broader international discussions on AI governance at the United Nations and other multilateral venues.
The list of founding signatories includes major emerging economies such as Brazil, Russia and Indonesia, alongside dozens of developing nations from Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Africa and Latin America (including Cuba and Venezuela). Notably, several prominent Global South economies — such as India, Mexico and South Africa — were not among the 29 founding members, reflecting the complex geopolitical balancing act many nations face between Washington’s AI export controls and Beijing’s governance frameworks. Several European countries also participated, though details about individual European signatories were not immediately disclosed by conference organizers.
Chinese state media portrayed the initiative as part of a broader effort to position Beijing as a champion of technological inclusivity. In recent months, China has announced several related programs including the AI Capacity-Building Action Plan for Good and for All, which promises low-cost AI infrastructure packages and local-language model training for dozens of countries. Through the Belt and Road Initiative’s digital cooperation platform, China has already begun providing AI-related assistance to governments in Southeast Asia and Africa, offering everything from cloud computing credits to scholarships for graduate-level AI study at Chinese universities.
The establishment of WAICO arrives at a moment of intensifying debate over how — and whether — artificial intelligence should be governed internationally. The European Union has implemented its AI Act, a comprehensive regulatory framework that categorizes AI applications by risk level. The United States has pursued a combination of executive orders, voluntary commitments from leading companies and strict export controls on advanced semiconductors. Meanwhile, at the United Nations, negotiations continue on a potential resolution on AI governance principles, though consensus remains elusive.
Skeptics have questioned whether yet another international organization can meaningfully influence behavior when existing bodies — from the OECD to UNESCO — already produce volumes of AI policy guidance with limited enforcement power. Some Western analysts have also expressed concern that China-led initiatives could serve as vehicles for extending Beijing’s technological influence, particularly in the Global South, while promoting governance norms that differ from democratic approaches to issues like free expression and government surveillance capabilities.
Supporters counter that the current patchwork of national and regional frameworks has failed to prevent a fragmented global AI landscape where developing countries risk becoming permanent laggards. They argue that an organization with broad representation from the Global South — precisely what WAICO promises to deliver — could bring perspectives and priorities that have been underrepresented in AI governance discussions dominated by wealthy nations.
What happens next will depend partly on whether the organization can secure sustained funding, attract a permanent secretariat in Shanghai and demonstrate concrete results within its first year. For now, though, the message from the WAIC summit is that the conversation about AI’s future is expanding — and that China intends to shape it.
