The first Workshop on AI Capacity Building, which opened in Shanghai on Tuesday, is in keeping with the spirit of the Shanghai Declaration on Global AI Governance that was issued during this year's session of the World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in July.

Among all the emerging industries, artificial intelligence might be the one that holds the biggest growth potential and growth rate. The Global Artificial Intelligence Industry Development White Paper 2024, released by the 2024 Shenzhen (International) Artificial General Intelligence Conference in late August, showed that the AI sector's size globally has reached $707.8 billion, with a year-on-year growth rate of 19.3 percent. Its application in daily life is so ubiquitous that almost everyone in the United States and Europe has access to AI on their smartphones, computers or smart appliances, and it is changing the way they work, live and relax.

However, the global AI gap is undeniably wide because it relies heavily on the construction of IT infrastructure. Developing countries are yet to benefit fully from AI development. The growing AI divide and the digital divide are making development more uneven among countries. There is a pressing need for the international community to enhance global AI governance and step up AI cooperation.

That such a conference was held in Shanghai, and the workshop followed in the same metropolis, shows the world that China is trying to find a solution to the problem. As Vice-Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu pointed out, China has always been advocating for strengthening the building of AI capacity and promoting fair global governance. Its call for international cooperation on strengthening AI capability building has found resonance across the world. International cooperation on capacity building is a priority in global AI governance. In July, the UN General Assembly adopted by consensus a China-sponsored resolution on "Enhancing International Cooperation on Capacity-Building of Artificial Intelligence".The resolution calls on all sides to increase capacity building cooperation, including policy exchanges, technical support, financial assistance, personnel training, and joint research. It is the first document on AI capacity building passed by consensus and a collective call from the international community.

And now, by holding the workshop, China is implementing its own initiative. With experts and government officials from almost 40 countries sharing their experiences, the workshop is expected to propel mankind's endeavor toward the right direction in AI.