The awning is swaying slightly and the water is gurgling.
When the white walls and black tiles of Jiangnan Ancient Town
Encountering the wave of digital intelligence sweeping the world
The annual "Wuzhen Time" has arrived as scheduled
From November 2 to 5, the 2026 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit was held in Wuzhen, Zhejiang. This is also the 13th year that the summit has been held in Wuzhen. The theme of this summit is "Open Source, Openness, Co-construction and Sharing - Working Together to Build a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace".
On November 3, the 2026 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit opened in Wuzhen, Zhejiang. Photo by Wang Gang
The highlights of this year’s summit are condensed into four “new” aspects: new topics collide with ideas, new exhibits are unveiled, new classrooms convey warmth, and new tracks breed vitality. Between the small bridges and flowing water, ideas, technology, creativity, and global dialogue converge and collide here, outlining a new picture of digital civilization.
🧠New topic｜Open source has become a high-frequency word, and global guests discuss the direction of the intelligent era
The main forum of this year's summit has set up the "Artificial Intelligence Wuzhen Dialogue" session, inviting the world's leading technology companies, heads of open source large model companies, and artificial intelligence scientists to the same stage to discuss the construction of a global artificial intelligence open source ecosystem.
The summit also launched 27 sub-forums at one go, with separate forums for cutting-edge topics such as intelligence, embodied intelligence, and space-time intelligence. Terms that were once only discussed in academic papers and laboratories now stand at the center of the Wuzhen round table.
What is open source? In layman's terms, open source means breaking down technical barriers to closed-door research and development. Global developers collaborate to innovate and speed up iteration while jointly maintaining the bottom line of security. This is also the core theme of this summit.
At the opening ceremony, Tsai Chongxin, co-founder and chairman of the board of directors of Alibaba Group, said that Chinese colleagues have unanimously chosen open source in AI development, which is an important spiritual core from Chinese innovation. Entrepreneurs in the industry seek to transcend their own capabilities, enhance common welfare, enhance wisdom through sharing, and create greater value from each other's achievements.
Bernd Holznagel, a professor at the University of Münster in Germany, mentioned in an interview with China News Service that many companies in Silicon Valley and 40%-50% of small and medium-sized enterprises in Germany are using large Chinese open source models. "I have also used DeepSeek, and it is very useful." The real experience from overseas academic circles confirms that China's open source model is going global.
At the round table, scientists, technical leaders, and open source leaders faced industry problems: How can intelligence from different manufacturers interoperate safely? How does the embodied robot get out of the exhibition hall landing scene? How does spatiotemporal intelligence empower urban governance? Thinking one after another, transform cutting-edge concepts into implementable exploration directions.
🤖New exhibits｜More than 20 new products have made their global debut, hard-core black technologies that are visible and useful
As the summit's popular destination, the "Light of the Internet" Expo opened on November 2, bringing together 671 institutions from 54 countries and regions to participate in the exhibition, displaying more than a thousand new technological achievements, and more than 20 innovative products making their global debut here.
This expo displays "Smart Internet" in an all-round way for the first time, with six themed exhibition areas running through the entire museum. Robots are no longer just static exhibits placed in booths for people to take pictures, but they can simulate walking into shopping malls, homes, and production lines to officially "go to work." Visitors can interact with the humanoid robot store manager at close range and watch it autonomously identify and deliver goods; they can also wear exoskeleton equipment to easily visit the exhibition, reach out and let the robot detect heart rate and blood oxygen, and experience AI massage and AI moxibustion; digital physical therapy is at their fingertips.
The picture shows the audience interacting with the "humanoid robot store manager". Photo by Xi Jinyan
6G is a highlight at this expo. The Global System for Mobile Communications (GSMA), together with Qualcomm, Keysight Technologies and other companies, brought an "end-to-end 6G prototype system" to demonstrate on-site the remote driving of construction machinery relying on the 6G network; China Mobile exhibited its 6G network innovation results of "synesthesia, computing and intelligence fusion, air, space, ground and sea integrated networking technology" to outline the blueprint for the next generation communication network. The results of the large model track are also intensively iterated, and the AI super nodes of the four leading manufacturers, Alibaba, Huawei, ZTE, and Sugon Information, were unveiled together, intuitively demonstrating the hard power of "core-mold linkage".
The "Light of the Internet" Expo opened in Wuzhen, Zhejiang. The picture shows the AI super node computing base on display. Photo by Xi Jinyan
Scenes of technology being implemented in industries and people's livelihoods can be seen everywhere: Ant Group's robot smart pharmacy can independently complete the entire process of order taking, dispensing and delivery; Schneider Electric brings mature practices in semiconductor manufacturing and new energy battery production and testing; in the future factory exhibition area, industrial scenarios such as flexible sewing of clothing and automated assembly of precision components are unfolded one by one.
There are also a number of police black technologies that protect people's livelihood and safety in the exhibition area. The holographic digital road network of Jiaxing Public Security Bureau relies on holographic perception to realize adaptive control of traffic lights, and is equipped with holographic smart zebra crossings that actively remind people to complete the transformation from "waiting for traffic lights" to "watching traffic lights". It has now been deployed at 22 intersections in Wuzhen and Puyuan. The flying lifebuoy brought by Hangzhou Public Security Bureau integrates drones and lifesaving devices, and can be delivered quickly and accurately during drowning rescue. It has been put into practical use in the West Lake Scenic Area.
Recently, the "Zhitong Daohe" unmanned police team in Wuzhen, Zhejiang, which is composed of drones, unmanned vehicles, and traffic control robots, officially took office. Photo by Qian Chenfei
From humanoid robot "store managers" to 6G remote driving, from large models of computing bases and smart pharmacies to smart police equipment that protects the safety of streets and waterways, Wuzhen, a water town, is letting the world see the future of "intelligent interconnection."
🤝New Class｜Focus on bridging the digital-intelligence gap, and digital dividends must be shared with the world
Technology is rapidly iterating, but the digital intelligence gap caused by uneven global development is still a common problem. The newly built Digital Intelligence Training Institute for this summit is the "new classroom" full of humanistic warmth in this grand event.
The training institute recruits students from all over the world, focusing on inviting government representatives, digital practitioners, and scientific researchers from developing countries to Wuzhen to participate in customized digital intelligence courses.
Raymond Villalta, advisor to the Presidential Palace of El Salvador, admitted in an interview that the digital divide is a challenge faced by the whole world. Countries should share technological experience, and technology practitioners from Europe, the United States, China, and Asia should work together to help countries in need lay optical fiber and build network infrastructure to build a future together.
Here, there is no distinction between high and low classes. Students from all over the world sat together to share their practical experience in local digital infrastructure, inclusive services, and network security, and work together to find ways to bridge the gap. Participants of different skin colors and different languages communicated side by side and reached a consensus that the value of digital technology should not only belong to a few pioneers.
✨New track｜The stage of science and technology innovation is renewed and upgraded, and the youth power stands in the C position
The "Direct to Wuzhen" global Internet competition has always been a platform for discovering dark horses in scientific and technological innovation and linking capital and industry. This year's competition closely follows the trend of technology, and the track has been completely upgraded. It has five major tracks: digital medical care, smart connected travel, smart terminals, smart manufacturing, and new consumption, as well as supporting scenario competitions and open source special events.
The young entrepreneurial team took the self-research project to the stage for a road show and explained the plan to investors and industry experts. Innovation is no longer exclusive to large companies. Grassroots developers and young entrepreneurs can connect with resources, receive advice, and find partners here. The Global Youth Leaders Program held at the same time attracted more than 2,600 young people from more than 140 countries and regions around the world to sign up. The continuous youth vitality has become the living water in the digital wave.
New topics, new exhibits, new classes, new tracks, behind the four “new”, the unchanging main line is open source, co-construction and sharing. In the water town with white walls and black tiles, ideas converge, technology develops, and consensus builds. Big names’ insights, youth creativity, and global dialogue meet here, and traditional ancient charm and digital civilization reflect each other.
From the perspective of aerial photography, the ring-shaped building of Wuzhen Grand Theater is warmly lit and dependent on the winding clear water. The rivers are criss-crossed, with black-topped boats parked quietly on the water, ancient town houses with white walls and black tiles spread along the water, and lights fill the streets.
After 13 years, what remains unchanged in Wuzhen is the Jiangnan background of small bridges and flowing water. What continues to grow is the power of working together to create a digital future.
💡Visiting tips: This year’s summit is open to the general public for the first time. Interested friends can make an appointment to visit through the official mini program "Wuzhen Summit Audience Reservation Platform".
