Journalism begins where hype ends

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We can only see a short distance ahead, but we can see plenty there that needs to be done.” "

—Alan Turing

‘Symphony, Not Solo’: China Offers the World a Glimpse of Its AI Might at WAIC 2026

Signage at the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai, held from 17 to 20 July. Photo: Official Agency, PRC

The World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai closed with 20.36 billion yuan in intended procurement deals, a new intergovernmental AI body signed by 29 countries, and Xi Jinping’s first in-person address a coordinated pitch to the Global South weeks after Washington launched its own AI alliance.

BrainCo Debuts Brain-to-Robot AI Platform at WAIC 2026

BrainCo's mind-controlled robotic arm grasps an object during a live demonstration at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) 2026 in Shanghai. (Credit: BrainCo / WAIC 2026 . Pic Credit: BrainCo

At WAIC 2026 in Shanghai, China’s BrainCo unveiled a brain-to-robot AI platform that lets a user direct a robotic arm through EEG signals alone decoding neural intent into machine commands in under 200 milliseconds.