‘AI can’t replace me’: Young people in China are upbeat o…

At the World AI Conference in Shanghai, it was revealed that while American companies are attempting to limit their AI systems' usage by Chinese individuals, Chinese workers, students, and AI enthusiasts continue to regularly access these technologies. This reflects a significant tension between U.S. policymakers and China's engagement with American AI products, despite ongoing concerns about the implications of such access. The conference also highlighted China's Sugon 8000, its first fully domestic AI computing cluster.

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China Sugon 8000 Supercomputer

Visitors learn about Sugon 8000, China’s first fully domestic AI computing cluster, at the World AI Conference in Shanghai on Monday.Long Wei / Future Publishing via Getty Images

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July 26, 2026, 12:00 PM EDT

By Jared Perlo

SHANGHAI — Chinese workers, students and AI aficionados are regularly using leading American AI systems despite American companies’ attempts to limit their usage and increasingly fiery rhetoric from policymakers about the perceived risks of China’s access to American products.

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‘AI can’t replace me’: Young people in China are upbeat on AI and their country’s own models