UNOSSC Director Dima Al-Khatib visited the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Research Institute (SAIRI), jointly established by the Shanghai Municipal Government and Shanghai Jiao Tong University. SAIRI is a cutting-edge research and development platform playing a key role in advancing AI innovation, and contributing to Shanghai’s transformation into a global science and technology hub.
Among other items discussed were opportunities to scale up South-South cooperation on AI policy dialogue, research, AI ethics regulation frameworks, as well as potential linkages with the new South-South and Triangular Cooperation Solutions Lab, and the next phase of the UNOSSC and Government of China cooperation framework programme.
SAIRI positions itself as a vital gateway to the global AI innovation ecosystem. Focused on pioneering research and breakthrough technologies, it has established long-term, stable cooperative models with countries such as Brazil, Italy, Kazakhstan, and Singapore, and regions like Hong Kong and Macau, focusing on technological breakthroughs, industrial transformation, and talent cultivation.
Committed to high-quality development, SAIRI has built a robust innovation framework that combines policy guidance, academic research, industrial leadership, and engineering excellence.
SAIRI actively supports national ministries, local governments, and leading state-owned enterprises in top-level design, industrial planning, and standards development. The institute’s achievements span critical sectors such as autonomous driving, smart healthcare, digital industrialization, and robotics, with over 40 major policy consultations and more than 50 AI standards developed for China.
The institute’s collaborations with major industry players, including Huawei, Alibaba, and SenseTime, have fostered advancements in AI computational power, deep learning frameworks, and large-scale AI models.
SAIRI has developed several impactful South-South partnerships with developing countries, focusing on AI applications in various sectors:
Committed to high-quality development, SAIRI has built a robust innovation framework that combines policy guidance, academic research, industrial leadership, and engineering excellence.
SAIRI actively supports national ministries, local governments, and leading state-owned enterprises in top-level design, industrial planning, and standards development. The institute’s achievements span critical sectors such as autonomous driving, smart healthcare, digital industrialization, and robotics, with over 40 major policy consultations and more than 50 AI standards developed for China.
The institute’s collaborations with major industry players, including Huawei, Alibaba, and SenseTime, have fostered advancements in AI computational power, deep learning frameworks, and large-scale AI models.
SAIRI has developed several impactful South-South partnerships with developing countries, focusing on AI applications in various sectors:
- South-South Capacity Building Cooperation: The AI Center participated in the “Artificial Intelligence Capacity Building Seminar” hosted by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the United Nations. This seminar brought together AI experts from 38 developing countries, promoting AI knowledge exchange and cooperation in AI-driven industrial and agricultural advancements. The countries represented by the participants are Azerbaijan, Chile, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Georgia, Ghana, Hungary, Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Madagascar, Malaysia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nigeria, Oman, Republic of Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
- Partnerships in Southeast Asia: SAIRI has been actively involved with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization’s efforts to promote AI technology in the Asia-Pacific region. Senior officials from countries such as the Philippines, Thailand, Mongolia, and Cambodia have engaged with the center to explore AI applications in their national development strategies, including areas like industrial automation and agriculture.
- Collaboration with Kazakhstan: The collaboration between Kazakhstan and SAIRI aims to improve Kazakhstan’s digital infrastructure and set the foundation for future AI projects. A key focus is the establishment of an AI laboratory in Kazakhstan, which will drive research and development in the field. Additionally, the partnership will work to enhance public services and governance in Kazakhstan through AI, improving overall efficiency. Both sides will share knowledge and expertise, with specialists from each country training one another to strengthen Kazakhstan’s AI capabilities. The partnership also involves seeking funding to support their joint AI projects, ensuring long-term cooperation and development in the field.
- Smart Agriculture Collaboration with Ethiopia: SAIRI is working closely with Ethiopia to implement AI-driven smart agriculture systems. This collaboration aims to enhance agricultural productivity and sustainability through AI technology, supporting Ethiopia’s food security and rural development efforts.
