Zikai Wang

Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Research Institute (SAIRI) The Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Research Institute (SAIRI), jointly established by the Shanghai Municipal Government and Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 2019, is a cutting-edge research and development platform created in response to President Xi Jinping’s strategic vision for AI development. As a leading AI institution in China, SAIRI plays a key role in advancing AI innovation and contributing to Shanghai’s transformation into a global science and technology hub. In 2024, during the opening ceremony of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) officially launched its Global AI Alliance Center of Excellence at SAIRI, marking a significant milestone in international collaboration and AI leadership. Leveraging its resources, SAIRI positions itself as a vital gateway to the global AI innovation ecosystem. Focused on pioneering research and breakthrough technologies, the institute integrates talent, innovation, and industry into a seamless, productive cycle. It has established long-term, stable cooperative models with countries such as Singapore, Kazakhstan, Italy, Brazil, and regions like Hong Kong and Macau, focusing on technological breakthroughs, industrial transformation, and talent cultivation. Committed to high-quality development, SAIRI has built a robust innovation framework that combines policy guidance, academic research, industrial leadership, and engineering excellence. With a team of nearly 400 experts, including PI professors, executives from Fortune 500 companies, and founders of unicorn startups, SAIRI has become a key incubator for AI-driven enterprises, contributing to China’s AI research and industrialization efforts. SAIRI actively supports national ministries, local governments, and leading state-owned enterprises in top-level design, industrial planning, and standards development. The institute’s achievements span critical sectors such as autonomous driving, smart healthcare, digital industrialization, and robotics, with over 40 major policy consultations and more than 50 AI standards developed for China. Many of its innovations have garnered attention from top national leaders, including President Xi Jinping. The institute’s collaborations with major industry players, including Huawei, Alibaba, and SenseTime, have fostered advancements in AI computational power, deep learning frameworks, and large-scale AI models. SAIRI has also spearheaded talent development programs, such as China’s first AI MBA and MTT, and regularly hosts prominent events like the World AI Conference and the Shanghai Robotics Industry Conference, cementing its role as a leader in the global AI ecosystem.