From July 17th to 20th,
See you at Hall H3 on the 2nd floor of Shanghai Pudong Expo Exhibition and Convention Center!
As big models pass the era of technological frenzy, AI faces its most important industrial test: moving from the laboratory to the production line and from “human replacement” to “industrial enhancement.”
As an annual global benchmark in the field of artificial intelligence, the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference and High-Level Conference on Global Governance of Artificial Intelligence (WAIC 2026) will be grandly held from July 17 to 20 at the Shanghai Expo Exhibition and Convention Center. This year, 36Kr will be deeply involved as an ecological partner and special supporting media of the conference. At the exhibition venue, we will be co-creating the 36Kr Future Talk Live Studio with “AI at the forefront”.
The theme of this year’s conference is “Intelligent Partners Creating the Future Together.” WAIC 2026 is the largest in history, with a total exhibition area of over 100,000 square meters, more than 1,100 companies participating, and more than 3,000 cutting-edge technology achievements on display, of which more than 300 AI products will make their global debut. The conference has more than 140 forums planned and will attract 1,400 national and international industry guests. Additionally, we will launch the first Chinese-led world-class AI academic conference, WAICAcademic, with Turing Award winner Yao Qizhi as chairperson. After eight years of development, WAIC has become the highest-level international event in the field of artificial intelligence in China and the official state-sponsored event at the United Nations multilateral event.
“Expansion of potential energy” in industrial supply and demand
In May this year, 36Kr held the AI Partner “AI + Industry” Thousand People Conference, which focused on the thorough integration of AI technology and real-world industrial scenarios. At the concurrently held AI + Industry Matching Conference, more than 100 rounds of in-depth private matching were held in two days, allowing enterprises to quickly find potential cooperation directions during the exchange and obtain unexpected inspiration and high-quality industrial resources.
The conference reflects the gradual shift in industry’s focus on AI from technical awareness and validation of concepts to more specific scenario adaptation, business closures, and large-scale implementation. As an important global event in the field of artificial intelligence, WAIC will also provide a greater dialogue space and exhibition platform for in-depth discussions on the industrialization of AI. Based on this industry background, 36Kr will continue the theme of “AI at the forefront” until WAIC 2026. We will share case studies and discuss important issues in the introduction of AI utilization in a live studio roundtable format, dig deep into high-quality case studies rooted in the forefront of the industry, and promote the introduction of AI.
Let’s bring AI back to the field of empowerment
Focus on extreme scenarios and real-world industrial problems
36Kr believes that the greater value of AI lies in entering areas where manual labor is less efficient, safety risks are high, and direct human intervention is difficult. In real-world industrial environments, this value is further translated into complex, delicate, and highly specialized tasks such as monitoring equipment operation under extreme working conditions, ensuring operation in complex working environments such as mines and deep sea, identifying minor abnormal noises in precision manufacturing processes such as sliding car seats, and controlling stability in high-precision industrial processes such as wafer handling and decision-making. Optimizing complex production and supply chain links.
In these scenarios, the role of AI is not just to replace efficiency, but also to improve and enhance existing production systems. This year’s “36Kr Future Talk” live studio will focus on expanding industry discussions from technology demonstrations to practical applications and experience exchanges, enabling AI to move from the exhibition hall to the workshop, mine, farmhouse, and laboratory.
On the WAIC site,
Presents related content from multiple perspectives
Case study: Visible industrial integration
36Kr will intensively display real implementation cases of “AI + Industry” over the past six months on the external screen of WAIC live studio, presenting real progress in technology and industry integration. These cases are from the 2026 AI Best Scenario Penetration Case Selection, with 55 benchmark cases selected from around 200 application projects, covering key sectors such as manufacturing, healthcare, finance, and agriculture, providing a single view of real-world application paths for AI in various industries.
Each case is presented in a core structure of “Problem-Solution-Effects-Organizational Change” and focuses on real-world industrial problems, including specific efficiency and cost challenges in traditional industries, how AI technology can be applied to production lines to form solutions, the value changes and impact delivered in real-world applications, and adjustments to how organizations collaborate after technology implementation. In this way, technologies and scenarios are connected through more intuitive information, allowing industry to more clearly understand the actual path of AI implementation.
Case Live – Streaming and exhibition tour in parallel
Analyzing the actual process of litigation, our editor-in-chief will take you on a virtual exhibition tour
At “36Kr Future Talk Live Studio,” for three consecutive days, a combination of “scenario providers (corporate production/technology leaders) + AI technology providers and industry experts” will frequently discuss realistic issues at the forefront of industry and engage in in-depth exchanges similar to actual applications. Most of the discussion participants are practitioners with deep roots in the industry. This topic focuses on analyzing problems and sharing experiences in specific scenarios, rather than expanding on abstract concepts.
The track direction covers AI + smart supply chain, AI + intelligent vehicle driving (from intelligent driving to intelligent dispatch), AI + traditional manufacturing, AI + smart agriculture, AI + medical/healthcare, AI + education, and further extends to areas such as AI + culture and tourism, smart factory, entertainment, smart hardware, and energy.
At the same time, the 36Kr Editor-in-Chief Observation Team will also go deep into the exhibition hall for panoramic observation, and present the cutting-edge technology and real experience of the super terminal through a live streaming exhibition tour, leading online audiences to discover new technologies and new species in the exhibition area.
Enterprise List: Search for hardcore benchmarks across cycles
Under the dual feedback of capital and the market, structural differentiation in the AI industry is gradually emerging. Against this background, 36Kr officially launched the targeted collection and selection of “Most Investors – Attractive Artificial Intelligence/Embodied Intelligence Projects in 2026” in April this year.
Selection is based on the investment institution’s core decision logic, which systematically observes and screens potential benchmark companies from multiple dimensions, including technological capabilities, scenario execution, commercial progress, and sustainable growth. The collection scope focuses on AI companies with real-world implementation capabilities and continuous commercial validation, and covers key directions such as large-scale and multimodal models, AI infrastructure, computing power and data toolchains, embodied intelligence and robots, autonomous driving, and AI + industrial applications.
The project collection channel is now open and the registration entrance is also available. We welcome more teams who are continuously driving technology adoption into real industries to join us and join us in this round of industrial screening vision.
From July 17th to 20th, “AI at the forefront” 36Kr Future Talk Live Studio will be officially opened in Hall H3, 2nd floor, Shanghai Pudong Expo Exhibition and Convention Center. This is not only an intensive introduction to step-by-step industrial achievements, but also a venue for on-the-ground observation and interaction on the practical implementation capabilities of AI. See you on site!
