The 2026 Inclusion Conference on the Bund will be held from Sept 9 to 12 at the Huangpu World Expo Park in Shanghai. At a Sept 3 news briefing, the organizers said the conference will focus on transforming artificial intelligence into new productive capacity and economic opportunities to benefit more people.

The conference consists of one main forum, more than 40 insight forums, and one tech exhibition, bringing together over 600 scholars, scientists, business leaders, investors, and builders from across the globe. It will also feature a creator stage and activities such as AI tech innovation competitions, investor-startup meetups, and technology fairs.

For the first time, an AI art festival will be part of the conference, showcasing the integration of AI into music, video, art exhibitions, and other artistic creations. It will bring together more than 100 AI-generated films and a diverse array of performers, including digital artists, folk bands, traditional music ensembles, children's choirs, and robots, to explore new forms of creation and performance co-presented by humans and AI.

During the conference, Nobel Prize laureates in economics Thomas Sargent and Philippe Aghion will share their insights on the AI-driven new economy, growth, and innovation, while leading scholars, scientists, and tech business leaders will explore cutting-edge AI trends and industrial transformation.

More than 300 tech companies from around the world are set to showcase their latest offerings at the exhibition. Over 30 AI agents will demonstrate their applications in work and life, while more than 40 embodied intelligence firms will highlight their practical use in real-world scenarios.

As AI lowers the barriers to software development and content production, innovative forms of entrepreneurship are emerging, with increasing numbers of young builders turning their ideas into reality.

Among the featured contests at the conference is the Bund Hackathon AI Coding Competition, which has attracted more than 10,000 participants. Nearly 70 percent are under 18, with the youngest just six years old.

Source: China Daily