Global AI Governance Action Plan Released at 2025 World AI Conference in Shanghai
The 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) and the High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance successfully concluded in Shanghai on July 28, marking a significant milestone in international efforts to shape the future of artificial intelligence. Over three days, global leaders, policymakers, tech experts, and international organizations gathered to adopt a unified vision for responsible AI development and cooperation.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang attended the opening ceremony and delivered a keynote address, highlighting China’s commitment to fostering an inclusive and safe AI future. The most notable outcome of the conference was the release of the Global AI Governance Action Plan, a comprehensive roadmap aimed at maximizing the benefits of AI technologies while addressing their associated risks through international collaboration.
Key Objectives of the Global AI Governance Action Plan
The action plan identifies artificial intelligence as a “new frontier in human development” and emphasizes its potential as an international public good. It calls for collective global action to ensure that AI is safe, ethical, controllable, and aligned with the values of fairness and inclusivity. The plan aligns with the United Nations’ Pact for the Future and the Global Digital Compact, with the goal of building a sustainable and equitable digital future.
The Global AI Governance Action Plan outlines 13 strategic focus areas, each addressing critical aspects of AI development and global cooperation:
1. Jointly Seizing AI Opportunities
Stakeholders — including governments, enterprises, academia, civil society, and citizens — are urged to collaborate on accelerating AI adoption and innovation. The plan encourages leveraging AI to drive global economic and social development and to support the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
2. Promoting Innovation and Openness
The plan calls for a globally connected innovation ecosystem, advocating international platforms for scientific collaboration, the removal of technology barriers, and policy coordination. It promotes “AI Plus” scenarios where AI is integrated across sectors to accelerate technological breakthroughs.
3. AI Empowerment Across Industries
The document promotes widespread AI integration in manufacturing, healthcare, education, agriculture, smart cities, and autonomous driving. It encourages the sharing of best practices and the construction of cross-border intelligent infrastructure to foster a global AI-for-good ecosystem.
4. Accelerating Digital Infrastructure in the Global South
Special focus is placed on helping developing nations build AI-related infrastructure — such as clean energy, next-generation networks, and data centers — to bridge the global AI divide and ensure inclusive development.
5. Fostering an Open and Innovative Ecosystem
The plan advocates the development of cross-border open-source communities and platforms. It recommends building open-source compliance systems, technical documentation standards, and greater compatibility between AI technologies to lower barriers for innovation.
6. Supplying High-Quality Data
Data is identified as the backbone of AI development. The plan calls for global cooperation in creating lawful, diverse, and high-quality datasets, while safeguarding data privacy and promoting ethical data sharing practices.
7. Sustainable and Green AI
Sustainability is emphasized with a call for energy-efficient AI practices, green computing, low-power chips, and cooperation in climate change mitigation. Standards for AI energy and water efficiency are to be jointly developed.
8. Harmonizing AI Standards and Norms
The plan supports collaboration between international standards bodies such as the ITU, ISO, and IEC. It highlights the need for transparent, inclusive technical and ethical standards to ensure the safe development and deployment of AI technologies.
9. Public Sector Leadership
Governments are encouraged to take the lead in deploying AI in public services like healthcare and education. The plan underscores the importance of protecting intellectual property, data privacy, and conducting regular safety assessments of AI systems.
10. Ensuring AI Safety and Accountability
A robust safety governance framework is proposed, including risk assessments, emergency response mechanisms, traceability systems, and secure development protocols. The plan promotes international cooperation to prevent misuse and ensure transparency.
11. Supporting the UN Global Digital Compact
The plan pledges support for the UN’s efforts to close the digital divide and promote global digital equity. It calls for the early implementation of two key UN mechanisms: the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI and the Global Dialogue on AI Governance.
12. Strengthening Capacity Building
Recognizing disparities in AI readiness, the plan urges advanced nations to support developing countries by building AI infrastructure, creating joint research labs, conducting training, and co-developing datasets. Special attention is given to empowering women and children in the digital era.
13. Building an Inclusive, Multi-Stakeholder Governance Model
Finally, the plan emphasizes the importance of inclusive governance involving public, private, and academic actors. It encourages cross-border dialogue among AI enterprises and researchers to promote ethical AI applications and policy exchange.
Vision for a World AI Cooperation Organization
A key proposal in the action plan is the establishment of a World AI Cooperation Organization, envisioned as a central platform to coordinate AI governance efforts, technology sharing, and policy alignment among countries.
Global Reactions and Next Steps
The release of the Global AI Governance Action Plan has been widely welcomed as a step toward building a responsible AI future. Observers note that its emphasis on multilateralism, inclusivity, and development equity reflects a growing global consensus on the need for collaborative AI governance.
Moving forward, stakeholders will work to translate the action plan into concrete actions, including national implementation strategies, regional dialogues, and international regulatory frameworks.
The 2025 WAIC in Shanghai has not only spotlighted the transformative power of AI but also marked a turning point in how nations collectively address its challenges and opportunities. The Global AI Governance Action Plan stands as a blueprint for a shared, safer, and smarter future.
