The 2026 Asia-Pacific Artificial Intelligence Conference was held in Changchun from September 17 to 19. Hailed as the highest-profile and most internationalized AI event in Northeast Asia, the conference brought together more than 20 academicians, over 200 leading AI technology companies in the Asia-Pacific region, over 100 universities and research institutes, and more than 20 financial institutions. Why was this premier AI conference ultimately hosted by Changchun? The answer lies in the city's industrial endowments, scientific research strengths, and commitment to improving people's lives.

The term "high-end" reflects the conference's global vision for frontier sci-tech innovation. A think-tank matrix of academicians from multiple countries was formed, and executives from leading enterprises such as Zhipu AI, Baidu AI Cloud, and Volcengine gathered in Changchun. The conference features one main forum and more than 20 parallel sub-forums, covering over 15 "AI Plus" fields, from AI large models, aerospace information, and embodied intelligence to optoelectronic information. Closely aligned with the establishment of China's Optoelectronics City and the upgrading of industrial intelligent manufacturing, the conference injects cutting-edge innovation momentum into Changchun's revitalization.

"In designing the agenda items, we followed the principle of 'aiming high while staying grounded.' 'Aiming high' means keeping a close watch on the forefront of global AI, while 'staying grounded' means ensuring that AI truly reaches Changchun's industries, farmlands, campuses, and city streets," said researcher Zhang Xu, whose remarks precisely captured the conference's essence. Unlike a purely academic forum, the conference combines a forward-looking vision and deep engagement in frontier industries with a grounded approach focused on improving people's living standards, achieving both "technological advancement" and "people's well-being."

The term "grounded" describes the conference's commitment to bringing the benefits of technology to the whole city as the ultimate purpose to serve the public. "This event has never been something rarefied; it is a citywide event that all residents can participate in and experience," said Zhang Xu. The conference features a 5,000-square-meter exhibition area themed "Intelligent Connectivity, Co-existence" open to the public throughout the event. Visitors can experience up close the achievements on display, including humanoid robots, satellite remote sensing, and smart healthcare, which offer a tangible, interactive experience of AI.

Beyond on-site observation, the achievements of sci-tech innovation will ultimately benefit residents' lives. AI-powered education will channel quality educational resources toward the community level; smart healthcare, transportation, and government services will make medical treatment and public transport more convenient; and smart agriculture will safeguard the black soil granary and people's "rice bag." The clustering of the AI industry will also create more high-quality jobs. As Zhang Xu put it, "With aerospace systems watching from the sky, embodied intelligence working on production lines, and large models computing in the background, AI will ultimately become a tangible part of the warmth that residents feel in their city."

A commitment to tangible outcomes and sustained efforts defines the distinctive character of the conference. "We will not host an event that draws crowds for three days and then leaves nothing behind, but one that delivers results, secures projects, and builds mechanisms," said Zhang Xu. He noted that the conference focuses on technology commercialization and long-term cooperation and has arranged multiple sessions including government-enterprise dialogue, investment & financing matchmaking, and centralized signing of industrial projects. More than 30 key enterprises have confirmed their participation in matchmaking, which promotes the establishment of regional headquarters, R&D centers, and industrialization projects in Changchun. Through academician workstations and industry-university-research bases, the conference will transform short-term exchanges into long-term cooperation and foster new growth drivers for the city's development.

The top AI conference signals a leap in the city's comprehensive strength. From frontier discussions attended by leading academicians to sci-tech innovation and science popularization involving the whole city, and from industrial empowerment for revitalization to improvements in the subtle and minute of people's livelihoods, the conference is using sci-tech innovation as a pen to write a new chapter in the high-quality development of an innovation-driven city, making Changchun's innovation calling card shine even brighter and enabling AI to better empower the city and benefit its households.

Source: Changchun Government Affairs  Editor: Liu Jiadi