The World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) opened in Shanghai on Friday, drawing significant attention to China's accelerating push for domestic AI hardware amid intensifying global competition.
The event, now in its sixth year, serves as a key barometer for Beijing's technological ambitions and the state of its private-sector innovation ecosystem.
Temperatures near the Shanghai Expo Centre approached 40 degrees Celsius, mirroring the heated debate surrounding the sustainability of the country's AI investment boom.
The conference comes at a critical juncture for Chinese tech firms.
While exhibitors showcased the latest advancements in semiconductors and AI infrastructure, the broader market sentiment remains divided.
Two prominent Chinese hedge funds recently issued a stark warning that the artificial intelligence investment boom is on the verge of collapsing, describing the current market environment as a 'superbubble' ready to burst.