AI for Better Life Forum held at 2026 WIC Asia-Pacific Summit in Hong Kong

The AI for Better Life Forum, a key event of the 2026 World Internet Conference (WIC) Asia-Pacific Summit, was held on April 14 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center.

Makhsudov Jamol, deputy minister of digital technologies of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and Wu Dong, chief engineer of Cyberspace Administration of China, attended the event and delivered remarks.

The keynote speech session was moderated by Victor Hou, vice-chair of the WIC Specialized Committee on Artificial Intelligence (SC on AI) and executive vice-president and CTO of Cisco Greater China. Speakers included Nii Narku Quaynor, known as "Africa's father of the internet" and chairman of Ghana Dot Com; Gong Ke, adviser of the WIC SC on AI, executive director of the Chinese Institute of New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Strategies; Chung NG, deputy commissioner for digital policy at the Digital Policy Office of the Hong Kong SAR Government; and John Higgins CBE, co-lead of the Standards Program of the WIC SC on AI, and chair of the International AI Governance Association.

They shared insights on bridging the digital divide, applying AI to improve livelihoods, and strengthening data governance, while discussing challenges and pathways for deploying AI in public service scenarios.

Industry representatives including Zhu Zheng, executive president of PDD Holdings Inc; He Xiaodong, senior vice president and head of AI innovation of JD.com; Tao Lin, vice-president of Tesla; and Clifford Kang, vice-president of Seres Group, presented case studies on AI-driven innovation in sectors such as e-commerce and intelligent mobility, highlighting its role in improving efficiency, reducing costs, and enhancing user experience.

Eight research reports under the WIC Think Tank Cooperation Program were released at the forum. Developed by leading institutions including ModelScope, China Telecom, Zhejiang Lab, the Macao Association for Internet Research, Renmin University of China, Wuhan University, Nankai University, and Zhejiang University, the reports focus on areas such as AI open-source ecosystems, AI-enabled social development, AI evaluation technologies, and AI security and governance. They provide insight into the innovative applications of AI in the public services sector as well as its societal value, offering references for translating technological advances into pragmatic solutions in the real world.

The Forum was organized by the World Internet Conference Specialized Committee on Artificial Intelligence. Nearly 100 representatives from government agencies, international organizations, WIC members, the WIC SC on AI, and other AI-related institutions attended the forum.