World Computing Conference kicks off in Changsha

The 2025 World Computing Conference opened in Changsha, Hunan province, on Thursday.

Under the theme "Calculating the World to Create a New Era – Intelligent Computing Drives Quality Productive Forces", the two-day conference, hosted by the Hunan provincial government, features 12 sessions, including an opening ceremony and main forum, seminars and discussion panels on cutting-edge computing technologies, and an exhibition of the latest innovation achievements.

More than 10 industry experts from around the world, along with executives from leading enterprises, gathered to discuss advanced computing, artificial intelligence and quantum technology.

Advanced computing technology forms the critical foundation for future industries, said Xu Xiaolan, former vice-minister of industry and information technology and chairperson of the Chinese Institute of Electronics, in her report during the main forum on Thursday morning.

Humanoid robots serve as a vivid example of the application of advanced computing technology, she said.

Over the past decade, China's robotics industry has achieved remarkable progress, with technologies and applications in specific fields becoming global leaders, she added.

Otthein Herzog, a member of the German National Academy of Science and Engineering and a foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, presented his report on autonomous digital twins for agentic artificial intelligence.

Knowledge stands as the core of AI industries, he said. To fully leverage AI, we must adopt knowledge-driven manufacturing as the central approach.

Thanks to the country's intense buildup of complex manufacturing supply chains, China's factory managers, engineers and workers have decades of "process knowledge", which enables interactive innovation with better efficiency, he added.

Thomas Sargent, a 2011 Nobel laureate in economic sciences and a member of the US National Academy of Sciences, shared his insights on the past, present and future of AI, and expressed his confidence in China's future in AI-related technologies.

The event's onsite exhibitions featured a range of innovative products, including integrated intelligent computing clusters, humanoid robots, intelligent connected vehicles, and brain-computer interface devices.

Since its inception in 2019, the World Computing Conference has been held six times in Changsha, evolving into an international and professional platform for dialogue in the computing field.