During the 2026 GDEC, Professor Yabin Wu, Secretary-General of NIRA, delivered a keynote address at the Digital-Friendly Communities Forum and joined representatives from various sectors in launching the Digital-Friendly Communities Ecosystem Alliance. He also attended the 2026 China Data Street High-Quality Development Forum and its thematic forums on Education + AI and AI + Culture.
From July 4 to 8, 2026, Professor Yabin Wu, Secretary-General of NIRA and Executive Director of Artificial Intelligence Sustainable Development Hub, attended a series of events associated with the 2026 Global Digital Economy Conference in Beijing.
Launched in 2021, the Global Digital Economy Conference is an international platform that brings together stakeholders from government, industry, academia, research institutions and the application community to exchange forward-looking ideas, showcase innovative achievements and deepen international cooperation in the digital economy.
Under the theme “Building Digital-Friendly Cities: Boundless Intelligence, Global Connectivity,” the 2026 conference focused on key areas including artificial intelligence, digital governance, data as a factor of production and industrial digitalization.
At the Digital-Friendly Communities Forum, Professor Wu delivered a keynote address titled “How the New Industrial Revolution Can Empower Sustainable Communities and Cities Through AI Applications.”
He noted that artificial intelligence is not merely a technological breakthrough, but also a major driving force behind the new industrial revolution. AI is rapidly expanding beyond production and industry into urban governance, public services and people’s everyday lives.
Professor Wu emphasized that communities bring together a diverse range of real-world applications involving population concentration, public services, social governance, energy consumption and data generation. They will therefore become one of the most important arenas for innovation in the AI era.
“Competition among cities will increasingly depend on which cities can most rapidly translate AI capabilities into governance and service capabilities, and which can most effectively turn their digital advantages into a greater sense of well-being among residents,” Professor Wu said.
He added that the development of digital-friendly communities must remain people-centered and guided by the principle of AI for Good, ensuring that people from different backgrounds and social groups can benefit equitably from technological progress.
Following the keynote session, Professor Wu joined representatives from government, industry, universities and research institutions in launching the Digital-Friendly Communities Ecosystem Alliance.
The Alliance brings together experts, businesses, universities and research organizations from China and abroad. It aims to establish a long-term cooperation mechanism encompassing standards development, technology deployment, demonstration projects and international exchange, helping move digital-friendly communities from concept to implementation.
Professor Wu also attended the 2026 China Data Street High-Quality Development Forum and its Education + AI and AI + Culture thematic forums.
NIRA considers education one of the most human-centered areas of the digital economy. As access to knowledge becomes increasingly convenient, the capabilities that matter most are shifting from finding answers to asking the right questions, and from accumulating and retrieving information to independent thinking, interdisciplinary integration and genuine creativity.
AI should help make high-quality educational resources more accessible, inclusive and open, enabling every child to be seen, supported and empowered.
At the AI + Culture Forum, participants discussed how artificial intelligence can support cultural and artistic creation, communications, heritage conservation, and innovation in cultural and tourism experiences.
NIRA believes that AI is expanding the boundaries of artistic and cultural innovation. At the same time, its development must give due consideration to intellectual property rights, cultural diversity, algorithmic ethics and the authenticity of AI-generated content.
NIRA will continue connecting AI technologies with the needs of industries while facilitating the convergence of capital, talent and real-world applications. Through international industrial cooperation, the Alliance will support the development of replicable and scalable AI+ industry practices and contribute to accelerating progress toward the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, particularly the goal of building sustainable cities and communities.
