The venue for the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance is pictured in Shanghai on July 15, 2026 (Photo: CFP)
The 2026 World AI Conference (WAIC) and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance will kick off in Shanghai on July 17 under the theme of "Intelligent Partners, Co-Creating the Future."
Since its launch in 2018, the annual global AI gathering has demonstrated China's rapid advances in AI and created more opportunities for Chinese AI companies to expand their service networks at home and abroad.
Chinese autonomous driving firm expands in global markets
Albert S. Hu, CEO of CiDi Inc., told South at an awards ceremony for the 2026 Forbes China AI Tech Enterprise Top 50 in early July that autonomous driving remains one of the most challenging fields in terms of both commercialization and technological development.
Headquartered in Changsha, Hunan Province, CiDi Inc. is a global leader in autonomous driving and physical AI for industrial mobility. Its core offerings include autonomous mining trucks, autonomous logistics vehicles, smart transportation systems, and high-performance perception systems for the mining and logistics sectors.
In fiscal year 2025, the company rapidly approached its profitability inflection point. Its total revenue jumped by 115.8% year-over-year to 885 million yuan, while gross profit increased by 86.7%.
After CiDi was named to the 2026 Forbes China AI Tech Enterprise Top 50 list, Hu attributed its growth to AI-powered products that customers are willing to purchase because they create tangible commercial value.
Albert S. Hu points to CiDi Inc. on the 2026 Forbes China AI Tech Enterprise Top 50 billboard in Shenzhen on July 10, 2026.
Hu described heavy-duty embodied AI solutions as the company's core strength and a new production model first applied in mining. Resource extraction, freight logistics, and construction, especially large-scale projects, share a common feature: they involve hazardous, high-intensity forms of work.
CiDi has developed a range of heavy-duty embodied AI systems that integrate advanced electronics and robotics to perform haulage and material-handling tasks in these scenarios. By assigning the most dangerous operations to robots, the systems can keep workers away from hazardous worksites.
"It's a natural extension of what we do best, because our work primarily involves heavy vehicles," Hu added.
Discussing CiDi's global expansion strategy, Hu identified Australia, Brazil, and Indonesia as priority mining markets. The company is also seeking strategic partnerships with equipment manufacturers and mining companies.
In April, CiDi signed a cooperation agreement with MMD Group, a UK-based global leader in the design and manufacture of innovative material processing equipment.
The company also plans to expand across Africa, Central Asia, and the Middle East in the coming years. It aims to achieve commercial-scale deliveries and establish a leading presence in heavy-duty operations overseas.
"We've entered into a partnership to deliver advanced driving solutions. As we continue to develop our technologies and products, we look forward to working with a wider range of partners. Our goal is to build an ecosystem of AI-powered products," Hu concluded.
Yao Yao (L4) receives an award at the 2026 Forbes China AI Tech Summit in Shenzhen on July 10, 2026.
Chinese fintech firm seeks to provide trusted AI infrastructure for global asset management
Headquartered in Chengdu, Totodi is a Chinese fintech and regtech company that provides compliance and risk management, electronic signature, and cloud-based asset management solutions to financial institutions such as banks, funds, trusts, and private equity firms.
At the 2026 Forbes China AI Tech Summit in early July, Totodi President Yao Yao said he hoped the company would become a globally trusted provider of AI infrastructure services for asset management.
Yao Yao said global capital markets share common needs, including investor protection, cross-institutional collaboration, data compliance, and clear accountability for AI. Although regulatory frameworks vary by country, the underlying need for reliable capabilities to support capital flows remains largely consistent.
China's asset management market, with its large scale, diverse participants, and well-established regulatory framework, has long offered extensive real-world scenarios for the industry's digital transformation and the development of trusted AI.
Yao Yao added that the company's international offering would extend beyond individual software systems to include proven domestic digital architectures, trusted AI governance systems, end-to-end audit mechanisms, and collaborative approaches to standard-setting.
This means Totodi will not simply replicate its domestic products overseas. Instead, its solutions will be adapted to each country's laws and regulations, capital market requirements, and market practices.
Looking to the next decade, Yao Yao said Totodi is committed to building Capital OS, a global operating system for the asset management industry powered by trusted AI.
By leveraging trusted data, standardized processes, and controllable AI, the company aims to move traditional offline, manual capital market operations onto trusted digital workflows. It also seeks to provide capital markets at home and abroad with secure, auditable digital infrastructure and clearly defined responsibilities.
"As trust becomes increasingly scarce in the AI era, it remains the foundation of capital markets. We hope to draw on China's industry and regulatory practices to continuously strengthen our digital capabilities in trusted asset management," Yao Yao said.
While supporting the high-quality development of China's capital market, Totodi also aims to apply its experience and industry solutions to the digital and standardized development of capital markets worldwide.
Reporter | Zhang Ruijun
Photo | Zhang Ruijun
