At the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) 2026 in Shanghai, China demonstrated that the next stage of AI competition will no longer revolve around individual chips, but around massive computing clusters, intelligent AI agents, and next-generation robots.
The conference’s biggest announcement was Huawei’s Atlas 950 SuperPoD—the industry’s largest AI cluster, integrating 1,024 Ascend AI accelerators. The company also introduced the Atlas 950 SuperCluster, which can scale to 500,000 accelerators, creating one of the world’s most powerful platforms for training advanced AI models.
Other Chinese technology companies also showcased major innovations. Alibaba presented its Zhenwu M890 × Panjiu AL128 SuperNode platform for the first time, while MetaX and Sugon demonstrated large-scale liquid-cooled computing systems designed to support tens of thousands of AI accelerators.
Among the AI breakthroughs, MiniMax M3 attracted significant attention. The new multimodal model is capable of processing text, voice, and images, with its capabilities demonstrated through a robotic dog that responds to commands in real time.
Another highlight was Unitree’s GD01—the world’s first transforming robot capable of switching between humanoid and quadruped configurations. Meanwhile, Fourier introduced GR Nano, a compact home robot designed for everyday interaction with users.
WAIC 2026 demonstrated that China is investing in a complete AI ecosystem—from domestically developed processors and supercomputing clusters to advanced AI models and robotics. According to industry experts, this integrated approach is expected to form the foundation of the next phase of artificial intelligence development.
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