Exploration of technology's impact on humanity — Shanghai summit wraps up

The 2024 Inclusion Conference on the Bund concluded on Sept 7, attracting over 52,000 attendees to Shanghai for a three-day exploration of technology's impact on humanity.

Hailed as "one of the most anticipated global innovation and technology conferences in the second half of 2024," the event featured a dynamic blend of insightful forums, cutting-edge technology showcases, and engaging interactive experiences.

Over 500 speakers, comprised of industry leaders, renowned academics and policymakers, convened across 37 forums to discuss critical topics, such as new practices in the artificial intelligence industry, the evolving relationship between technology and humanity, and the latest advancements in fintech.

Attendees witnessed the unveiling of 35 groundbreaking technologies, including Ant Group's AI-powered life assistant "Zhixiaobao", their AI health manager services, and the "Magic Box" intelligent agent development platform. Other highlights included Fudan University's nanowired artificial retina for vision restoration and Westlake Xinchen's Lingo, an end-to-end speech model.

The exhibition hall buzzed with excitement as over 105 tech companies from around the world showcased their latest innovations. Fifteen leading AI model developers demonstrated their capabilities, while over 20 AI assistants captivated attendees with applications ranging from digital avatars for work assistance to cyber pets designed to combat loneliness.

The interactive exhibition, featuring technologies like brain-computer interfaces for sleep enhancement and artificial muscle fibers for warmth and comfort, was lauded for its fresh and engaging approach to showcasing technological advancements.

The conference highlighted six key trends shaping the AI industry: the rise of edge intelligence, heterogeneous computing driving large-scale model applications, the strategic importance of high-quality data, specialized domain applications accelerating AI development, intelligent agents as the next generation of super platforms, and the impact of embodied intelligence on intelligent care and future manufacturing. International attendees recognized the conference as a crucial window into understanding the implementation and future development of China's burgeoning AI industry.

American scholar Kevin Kelly, during his speech at the conference, stressed the importance of acknowledging that the true challenges often stem from the unforeseen unknowns rather than the issues currently in focus. He highlighted the necessity of actively engaging in shaping this future to realize the AI-driven world we aspire to.

Luo Bin contributed to this story.