Indonesia Joins China-Initiated World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization

Indonesia has officially joined the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO), an international body initiated by China. Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto signed the establishment agreement in Shanghai on Thursday, acting on the directives of President Prabowo Subianto. The signing took place alongside representatives from 29 other founding nations, including Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and was witnessed by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres. Minister Airlangga stated that Indonesia’s participation is a strategic move to ensure global AI governance adopts a human-centric approach, aiming to accelerate sustainable development and improve welfare. He stressed that the country must play an active role in bridging the global AI divide to ensure the technology is safe, trustworthy, and ethical. The agreement stipulates that WAICO will operate as an independent intergovernmental organisation with international legal personality. The establishment coincided with the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) 2026 in Shanghai, which featured over 1,400 speakers and 1,100 exhibiting companies, including major Chinese tech firms like Huawei, Alibaba, and Baidu. The conference highlighted 2026 as the first year of practical ‘AI Agent’ deployment, where artificial intelligence transitions from conversational ability to autonomous task completion, alongside the rise of embodied AI in humanoid robots working in factories and warehouses.