Visitors try out a smart glasses as the World AI Conference in Shanghai, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
China’s leading technology companies showcased hundreds of cutting-edge products at the World AI Conference in Shanghai — from advanced robotics to artificial intelligence systems.
The nation’s annual flagship AI event, which was held from July 17 to 20, took place against the backdrop of a heated U.S.-China tech rivalry. More than 1,100 companies participated.
Chinese companies have developed more than 400 humanoid robot products, more than half the world’s total, state media said. Open-source AI models from China are increasingly challenging leading American ones as they are more widely adopted globally.
Visitors stand near the Huawei Atlas 950 SuperPod during the World AI Conference in Shanghai, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)Visitors at the booth for Eastern Computing Chips a Chinese AI semiconductor company at the World AI Conference in Shanghai, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)Robots wearing traditional Chinese opera costumes walk around the booths at the World AI Conference in Shanghai, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
A man rides on a robot from DaxRobotics, a Chinese AI and robotics startup during the World AI Conference in Shanghai, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)A worker stands near robots from Efort a Chinese industrial robot manufacturer during the World AI Conference in Shanghai, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)A robot from Pudu Robotics, a Chinese robotics company welcomes visitors to the World AI Conference in Shanghai, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)A woman adjusts her hair near a lifelike robot head on display from Yunmu Intelligence Manufacturing during the World AI Conference in Shanghai, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)A man reacts after touching the face of a lifelike robot head depicting a ethnic minority on display from Yunmu Intelligence Manufacturing during the World AI Conference in Shanghai, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)A woman takes photos of realistic skin for robotic hands on display from Yunmu Intelligence Manufacturing during the World AI Conference in Shanghai, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)A lifelike robot head looks at a visitor during the World AI Conference in Shanghai, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)A worker looks on near humanoid robots on display from Magiclab, a Chinese embodied AI and humanoid robots company during the World AI Conference in Shanghai, Saturday, July 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)A humanoid robot from Chinese firm Huayan Robotics waves Chinese national flags during the World AI Conference in Shanghai, Saturday, July 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)A worker prepares a robot to demonstrate the performances of its hands at the booth for Chinese company Xynova during the World AI Conference in Shanghai, Saturday, July 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)Robots with pomp pomps wait to be activated during the World AI Conference in Shanghai, Saturday, July 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)A display demonstrates a brain-computer interface from Mindtrix during the World AI Conference in Shanghai, Saturday, July 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
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