The 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) and High-Level Meeting on Global Artificial Intelligence Governance was held in Shanghai from 17 to 20 July 2026 under the theme “AI Partnership for a Brighter Future.” Around the conference, CCTV News launched a special series titled “When AI Meets Youth,” focusing on the younger generation: How do they understand the boundaries of technology? How do they interact with AI agents? And what contributions can they make to global AI governance?
Yao Xu, Secretary-General of the Center for Global AI Innovative Governance (CGAIG) and Associate Professor at the Fudan Development Institute, Fudan University, along with CGAIG research assistants Yuan Luming, Xu Kehao, and Zhang Ao, were interviewed by CCTV News reporters.
Source: CCTV News, 16 July 2026, “When AI Meets Youth: People-centered approach, AI for good, and Enabling AI to Better Serve the World”
Reporter: As young researchers and members of the younger generation, how should we participate in the process of international AI governance?
Yao Xu, Secretary-General of the Center for Global AI Innovative Governance (CGAIG) and Associate Professor at the Fudan Development Institute, Fudan University: Global governance in the context of artificial intelligence is a crucial issue that requires balancing development and security. From the perspective of a young researcher, I believe the two most important things we hope to achieve are: first, breaking down the seemingly insurmountable barriers between AI technology and its applications, bridging the intelligence divide, and further providing international public goods in AI for countries of the Global South; second, reducing fragmentation, building a more unified governance order, and strengthening confidence in global governance.
Source: CCTV News, 16 July 2026, “When AI Meets Youth: People-centered approach, AI for good, and Enabling AI to Better Serve the World”
Reporter: What do you think is the most important “bottom line” that AI development needs to uphold today?
Yuan Luming, Research Assistant at the Center for Global AI Innovative Governance (CGAIG): AI is ultimately a technology, and technology should ultimately serve humanity. I believe the connections, relationships, communication, emotions, and respect between people are things that AI cannot replace. Therefore, technology must not replace human beings, and human beings must not disappear amid technological development. We must always uphold the “people-centered” principle.
Source: CCTV News, 15 July 2026, “When AI Meets Youth: Upholding the Bottom Line and Embracing the Future -- Youth Worldviews on AI”
Reporter: When was the last time you relied purely on your own thinking, rather than using AI, to accomplish something?
Xu Kehao, Research Assistant at the Center for Global AI Innovative Governance (CGAIG): I think it was this week when I was practicing algorithm problems. I deliberately forced myself not to discuss with AI how to solve a problem or how to write an algorithm. Instead, I first tried to solve it independently, and only afterward looked at other people’s solutions and AI’s suggestions. I believe that when improving my own algorithm design capabilities, I cannot use AI like an artificial limb.
Reporter: What governance cooperation outcomes are you most looking forward to seeing emerge from this conference?
Xu Kehao, Research Assistant at the Center for Global AI Innovative Governance (CGAIG): I am most concerned about AI agent security. In programming, we often use an AI Agent, which provides us with suggestions throughout different workflows. Sometimes, however, it may execute unexpected commands in the terminal, resulting in various engineering failures and errors. In such situations, how should we constrain AI agents? How much authority should we grant them? I hope this conference will provide discussions and experience-sharing on these issues.
Source: CCTV News, 16 July 2026, “When AI Meets Youth: People-centered approach, AI for good, and Enabling AI to Better Serve the World”
Reporter: What do you believe is China’s most irreplaceable role in the global AI governance process?
Zhang Ao, Research Assistant at the Center for Global AI Innovative Governance (CGAIG): China is a major country in AI technological development, with extensive application scenarios and technological achievements. At the same time, China is also an important member of the developing world. China understands both its own technological interests and the unique aspirations of developing countries regarding global AI governance and development. It can therefore play a distinctive role in connecting the Global South and the Global North.
Source: CCTV News, 17 July 2026, “When AI Meets Youth: Openness and Win-Win -- Providing a Chinese Approach to Global AI Governance”
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