China has launched the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO), the first independent, treaty-backed intergovernmental organisation specifically dedicated to AI.
The organisation’s founding agreement was signed on Thursday by 29 countries, which became its initial members. The organisation is open to all countries and explicitly led by a “development-first” Global South agenda.
The initiative marks Beijing’s latest effort to expand its influence over how artificial intelligence is developed and regulated globally, as well as to intensify debate over China’s position in the global AI race.
Filling the AI governance vacuum
While the United States remains a leader in AI research and private-sector innovation through companies such as OpenAI, Google and Microsoft, it has not established a comparable international organisation dedicated specifically to AI governance.
The European Union has moved ahead with the AI Act, the world’s first comprehensive AI regulatory framework.
International bodies, including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OECD and the G7 have developed AI principles and recommendations. However, neither has created a broad multilateral institution focused exclusively on coordinating AI cooperation between countries.
WAICO seeks to fill that gap by providing a platform for international collaboration on AI governance, covering issues such as safety, technical standards, ethical principles, scientific cooperation and the responsible deployment of advanced AI systems.
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