Published on: 2026-07-29
Source: People’s Republic of China — Translation
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Tashkent, July 29 /Xinhua/ — Vladimir Norov, Chairman of the Central Asian Artificial Intelligence Association and former Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, stated in an interview with Xinhua that the establishment of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) is truly a historic milestone, marking a decisive shift from technological rivalry to constructive institutional cooperation.
The signing ceremony of the agreement establishing WAICO took place on July 16 in Shanghai. The document was signed by 29 countries from Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Europe, which became the founders of the organization. This marked an important milestone in advancing China’s initiative to create WAICO.
“This is not just the creation of another international body, but the birth of a permanent intergovernmental platform capable of fundamentally improving the very logic of global cooperation in the field of AI,” noted V. Norov.
According to him, as artificial intelligence rapidly transforms the economy, healthcare, education, industry, finance, and public administration, countries find themselves unable to effectively respond to the related opportunities and challenges on their own.
“Unlike the numerous consultative formats that existed previously, WAICO was specifically created to translate political declarations into practical mechanisms for cooperation in standards, safety, and capacity building,” the expert stated.
V. Norov believes that the new management model presented by WAICO is built around development, state sovereignty, and overcoming the technological gap. Its strength lies not in replacing or denying other models, but in ensuring their coordination — through compatible technical standards and mutual recognition of risk assessments.
He especially noted that WAICO is of great importance for the countries of the Global South and the states of Central Asia, which gain a real opportunity to overcome the technological gap and become active participants in shaping the future of AI.
Highly valuing China’s contribution to the development of global cooperation in AI, V. Norov cited the Chinese initiative to implement the “Matsu” intelligent meteorological early warning system in 30 countries as an example. “For Central Asian countries, which critically depend on monitoring water resources and climate risks, this could become a pioneering pilot project demonstrating that AI serves sustainable development and the well-being of peoples, rather than narrow geopolitical goals,” he emphasized.
Commenting on China’s plans to provide 5,000 places for specialized AI training for specialists from developing countries, the expert noted that in this way China helps these states turn knowledge into genuine independent competence. In his opinion, WAICO is capable of playing a unique role in personnel training by uniting universities, research centers, and technology companies to form a sustainable national scientific potential.
V. Norov positively assessed the decision of a number of Central Asian states, including Uzbekistan, to become founders of WAICO. “Participation from the very beginning allows Uzbekistan not only to adapt to new international rules but also to actively participate in their creation — a privilege and opportunity that should be met with enthusiasm,” he stated.
According to the Xinhua interlocutor, Central Asia occupies a unique and valuable place in the global AI ecosystem. The countries of the region can jointly develop applied solutions in the fields of agriculture, water resource management, transport and logistics corridors, energy, and digital government services.
“It is precisely such projects that can become a practical contribution of Central Asia to WAICO’s activities and strengthen the region’s position as one of the emerging and promising centers for artificial intelligence development,” he indicated.
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