At the Shanghai Forum 2025, over 500 experts from more than 50 countries gathered to discuss the governance challenges of rapid AI advancement, emphasising the need for global consensus, trust, and inclusive cooperation between the Global North and South to ensure effective and equitable regulation of artificial intelligence.
Experts from around the world convened at a sub-forum of the Shanghai Forum 2025 on Friday to discuss governance challenges arising from the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and to explore potential pathways to overcome barriers in AI regulation and cooperation.
The event, held in Shanghai, brought together more than 500 guests including representatives from think tanks, universities, governments, enterprises, and media organisations spanning more than 50 countries and regions. Themed “Age of Innovation: Technology, Development and Governance,” the forum provided a platform for dialogue on the opportunities and challenges presented by emerging technologies, particularly AI.
One of the key speakers was Kim Won-soo, the former Under Secretary-General of the United Nations, who highlighted several divides that need to be addressed in the pursuit of effective AI governance. Speaking at the forum, Kim said, “We face technological gaps between the Global South and Global North, divergent legal frameworks, and value differences between East and West.” He stressed the importance of building capable alliances to bridge these gaps, particularly as global leadership in technology governance is perceived to be declining. Kim called for the establishment of global consensus to tackle these issues collaboratively.
Thomas Greminger, executive director of the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, outlined the foundations of AI governance as framed by the European Union. According to Greminger, key components include protection of human rights, ensuring the safety of AI systems, safeguarding privacy, promoting transparency and accountability, and committing to sustainability. He noted that despite AI being viewed as a significant geopolitical asset by all major powers, there remains considerable scope for cooperation. “AI is a disruptive technology requiring unified frameworks and rules to mitigate risks,” Greminger commented.
Chinese experts also contributed significant insights into AI development and governance. Wei Kai, director of the Artificial Intelligence Research Institute at the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, shared findings from recent testing metrics showing that the capabilities of large language models have increased by 35 percent over the past year. Wei observed, “AI has entered a new stage of data-driven rapid evolution,” signalling accelerated advancements and the growing importance of data in AI progression.
Feng Shuai, secretary-general of the Center for International Governance of Cyberspace at Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, emphasised the complexity of AI governance, describing it as a global process involving multiple stakeholders. He acknowledged that competition over AI development and governance among major powers is inevitable but maintained that it is essential to seek opportunities for cooperation within this competitive landscape. “Our task is to find opportunities for cooperation within that competition and keep conflicts within manageable bounds,” Feng explained.
Throughout the discussions, participants widely agreed on the necessity of building trust among leading AI-developing nations to achieve effective global governance. They also stressed the importance of including the Global South and developing countries in discussions to ensure a more equitable approach. The forum highlighted the need for dialogue mechanisms and international standard-setting as critical tools to develop a comprehensive, collaborative governance system. Sustained cooperation among diverse stakeholders was deemed essential to address the multifaceted challenges AI poses.
The Shanghai Forum 2025 thus served as a significant international platform to examine AI governance issues, bringing together expertise and perspectives across continents to foster dialogue on this rapidly evolving field.
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202504/27/WS680d7951a3104d9fd3821c7c.html – This article corroborates the discussion of AI governance challenges at the Shanghai Forum 2025, where global experts gathered to address issues arising from rapid AI advancements. It highlights the international collaboration and governance discussions taking place at the event.
- https://shanghaiforum.fudan.edu.cn/forumen/7d/03/c19060a687363/page.htm – This forum webpage explains the theme of the Shanghai Forum 2025, which focuses on ‘Age of Innovation: Technology, Development and Governance.’ It outlines the forum’s aim to facilitate cross-field dialogues on technological progress and governance challenges, aligning with the article’s discussion.
- https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202504/26/WS680ca4cea3104d9fd3821c21.html – This article supports the call for including the Global South and developing countries in AI governance discussions. It mentions the urgency of their participation in discussions about AI regulation and cooperation.
- https://www.un.org/en/sections/un-in-action/index.html – Although not directly about Shanghai Forum, this webpage provides context on global governance and the role of international organizations like the United Nations in addressing global challenges, including those related to AI governance.
- https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_21_6635 – This press release from the European Commission highlights the EU’s approach to AI governance, emphasizing human rights and ethical considerations. It aligns with Thomas Greminger’s discussion on EU AI governance principles.
- https://www.cfr.org/events/shaping-the-future-of-artificial-intelligence – This event page provides insight into discussions on shaping the future of AI and global governance strategies, reflecting the broader context in which events like the Shanghai Forum 2025 are held.
- https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMifkFVX3lxTFBzcG5yZE1RMjlzSnMySFVURWFJdUtOQzRlQVdPZEJWRHpldEh4ZHhaaXdpaGtHbFdzX3R5dFk2OTZZbzJ5bUY2T25WcXNhV0c4ckRkSlo5U0xKMjdheUZ5WDMyS1dzMndNeGl1TUNjeDdvTmFFX1VaeFVibm1DQQ?oc=5&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en – Please view link – unable to able to access data
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
Event explicitly references ‘Shanghai Forum 2025’, indicating timeliness. No outdated role references detected for participants mentioned, but older quotes could exist.
Quotes check
Score:
7
Notes:
Quotes appear original to this event. No earlier references found for statements by Kim Won-soo or Thomas Greminger, suggesting first-time attribution.
Source reliability
Score:
6
Notes:
Narrative originates from Google-hosted RSS feed without clear publisher attribution, limiting verification of editorial standards.
Plausability check
Score:
9
Notes:
Claims align with known AI governance challenges. Expert affiliations match their stated roles, and quoted metrics (35% LLM improvement) reflect industry trends.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary:
Content demonstrates logical coherence with contemporary AI governance discourse. While source provenance lacks transparency, the technical claims and speaker credentials remain plausible and timely.
