Xi Jinping champions AI vision at BRICS summit to rival US

At the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, Chinese President Xi Jinping laid out a five-pillar AI strategy designed to rally the developing world around China’s technological vision. Five pillars, one message Xi’s proposals at the September 12-13 summit covered a deliberately broad canvas. The five initiatives span establishing an open-source and inclusive AI framework, facilitating trade and investment, modernizing digital industry, advancing smart manufacturing, and fostering talent development across member nations. The centerpiece is the proposed BRICS AI Open Source Zone, where member countries can collaboratively develop large language models and training infrastructure. Xi also invited member nations to join the newly formed World AI Cooperation Organization. A bigger tent, a louder voice This year’s summit marked the 20th anniversary of the BRICS mechanism. New additions include Iran, Indonesia, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the UAE. India held the 2026 chair and hosted the summit. China is set to assume the rotating chairmanship for the 19th BRICS Summit in 2027, giving Beijing a full year to shape the agenda and operationalize these AI initiatives on its own turf. The geopolitical che...