Indonesia joins China-initiated global AI cooperation body

Shanghai (ANTARA) -

Indonesia has become a founding member of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO), a China-initiated intergovernmental body aimed at strengthening global artificial intelligence governance and international cooperation.

Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto signed the Agreement on the Establishment of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) on Thursday, following President Prabowo Subianto's directive issued during a cabinet meeting on July 13.

"The signing was carried out under President Prabowo's directive to promote economic development that advances the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and improves the well-being of people around the world," Airlangga said in a statement issued in Shanghai.

Indonesia was among 29 countries signing the founding agreement, alongside Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Kazakhstan's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Zhaslan Madiyev, Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Thongsavanh Phomvihane, Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Russian Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Maxim Oreshkin, and representatives from Brazil, South Africa, and other countries.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres also attended the signing ceremony.

Airlangga said Indonesia's participation reflected the country's commitment to shaping international AI governance and ensuring the technology develops in a manner that benefits all nations.

Related news: RI to participate in China's initiative AI cooperation, WAICO

"Indonesia needs to be directly involved in international cooperation and global AI governance to ensure AI develops in a healthy, beneficial, safe, and equitable manner for all humanity, in accordance with the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter," he said.

Under the agreement, WAICO will be established as an independent intergovernmental organization with international legal personality, with all signatory countries becoming its founding members.

The agreement states that WAICO will uphold the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter, promote extensive consultation and shared contributions for mutual benefit, and adopt a human-centric approach to AI development.

The organization also aims to strengthen international cooperation and global AI governance while ensuring artificial intelligence remains beneficial, safe, fair, and conducive to orderly technological development for the benefit of humanity.

Airlangga said Indonesia's role as a founding member was strategically important to help ensure global AI governance remains people-centered and delivers equitable benefits, particularly for developing countries seeking to accelerate development and economic growth.

"The signing of the WAICO founding agreement today marks an important milestone for all of us. Through this platform, Indonesia is committed to playing an active role in bridging the global AI divide and promoting AI that is safe, trustworthy, and ethical," he said.

Before the signing ceremony, delegates met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.

WAICO was established alongside the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) 2026 in Shanghai.

Launched in 2018, WAIC has become one of China's flagship technology events, showcasing innovation while promoting international cooperation on AI development and governance.

This year's conference is being held across three venues in Shanghai, bringing together 1,400 speakers, including nine Nobel Prize and Turing Award laureates, business leaders, and policymakers.

More than 1,100 companies are exhibiting around 3,000 products and technologies, including more than 300 making their global debut.

Participants include Chinese technology companies Huawei, Alibaba, and Baidu, as well as AI firms MiniMax, StepFun, and Zhipu AI.

Robotics and automation companies such as Unitree, Fourier Intelligence, AgiBot, and Zero Degree are also participating, alongside chip and computing firms Oriental Computing, Muxi, Tianshu Zhixin, and Moore Threads.

Chinese officials described 2026 as the country's first year of AI agent adoption, with artificial intelligence moving beyond conversational tools to autonomous systems capable of completing tasks independently.

Another major trend highlighted at the conference was embodied AI, with humanoid robots increasingly being deployed in factories and warehouses rather than serving only as demonstration models.

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Translator: Desca Lidya Natalia, Martha Herlinawati Simanjunta

Editor: Rahmad Nasution

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