DPM Dar attends opening ceremony of 2026 World AI Conference in Shanghai

Shanghai (Web Desk): Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar attended the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai on Friday as part of his official two-day visit to China.

The deputy prime minister was accompanied by a Pakistani delegation during the visit, which is taking place at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

The conference featured a keynote address by Chinese President Xi Jinping, delivered after the formal establishment of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation (WAICO).

The organisation was established on Thursday evening when its founding members, including Pakistan, signed the founding agreement.

Pakistan reaffirmed its support for a fair, inclusive and globally representative system of AI governance. It also stressed the need to expand developing countries' access to emerging technologies, strengthen capacity-building efforts, and deepen international cooperation to reduce the digital divide so that the advantages of artificial intelligence are shared equitably across the world.