Twenty-nine countries on Thursday signed an agreement in Shanghai to establish the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisations (WAICO), marking a significant step towards strengthening international collaboration on artificial intelligence.
The new body will operate as an independent intergovernmental international organisation and will be headquartered in Shanghai, according to the agreement signed by the participating countries.
WAICO is expected to provide a platform for member states to deepen cooperation on the development, governance and application of artificial intelligence, as nations seek to harness the technology’s economic and social benefits while addressing its associated challenges.
The establishment of the organisation comes amid growing global efforts to promote international coordination on AI standards, innovation and responsible use, as governments increasingly recognise the transformative impact of the technology across industries.
With its headquarters in Shanghai, WAICO is expected to serve as a hub for dialogue, policy coordination and cooperation among member countries on artificial intelligence-related issues.
However, the full official list of all 29 signatories has not yet been publicly released by the organisers or the Chinese government.
According to Reuters, the countries publicly identified among the founding signatories include: Russia, Belarus, Serbia, Cuba, Brazil, Venezuela. The report also states that the remaining signatories comprise of 10 African countries, 12 Asian countries and 1 additional Latin American country (besides Brazil, Cuba and Venezuela).
The signing of the agreement, however, marks the formal creation of what is expected to become a key international institution dedicated to global AI cooperation.
