Overview of Competition Awards | Hi! WAIC Takes You Through the Global AI Arena: The Talent Incubation Panorama of WAIC’s Award Matrix}

WAIC 2025 — World Artificial Intelligence Conference

Forum: July 26-28, 2025

Exhibition: July 26-29, 2025

Locations include: Expo Center, Expo Pavilion, Xuhui West Bund, etc.

On this stage where AI writes endless possibilities, the WAIC award matrix is eagerly awaiting its final reveal. Hi! WAIC, as the “smart curator,” has already mapped out the exploration paths for the competition awards. Whether you want to witness the hardcore strength of technology implementation, see breakthroughs in AI empowering human well-being through the SAIL Award’s global showdown, catch sparks of youth innovation in the Outstanding Paper Award, explore industry value in the BPAA competition, or see the budding creativity in youth events, WAIC’s award matrix offers a multi-dimensional landscape: igniting innovation through competition and nurturing talent on stage. Next, Hi! WAIC will take you deep into this encounter between AI and youth.

Outstanding AI Leader Award (SAIL): The “Hardcore Arena” for Technology Implementation

Background:

The SAIL Award is a high-profile global AI accolade, committed to “pursuing excellence and leading the future,” focusing on top-tier AI projects that benefit humanity, encouraging breakthroughs and innovation, and leading intelligent transformation.

This year, there are 240 valid entries, a 30% increase from last year, with major international players from Imperial College London, Nanyang Technological University, Unilever, Siemens, and more participating. Over 60 entries are from central and state-owned enterprises. The competition highlights practical needs in open-source large models, industry applications, AI chips, intelligent clusters, AI agents, embodied intelligence, and applications in industry and finance. During WAIC 2025, the SAIL Award and SAIL Star will be officially announced.

Youth Outstanding Paper Award: The “Wisdom Arena” for Young Scholars

Background:

The Youth Outstanding Paper Award is a “brainstorming platform” showcasing young scientists’ foundational research and technological innovations in intelligent science, inspiring more youth to join AI.

This year, 199 submissions were received, a 25.2% increase, with Shanghai leading with 109 papers. Researchers from Hong Kong, Singapore, the US, and other regions participated, covering fields like large models, embodied intelligence, and AI for Science. The average age of authors is 29.28, with 79.4% holding PhDs. Many papers have been published in top journals like Nature, Science, CVPR, and NeurIPS.

Fifth BPAA Application Algorithm Model Practice Competition: The “Global Circle of Algorithm Practice”

Background:

The BPAA Practice Competition is a core WAIC event dedicated to “large model application deployment,” attracting over a thousand teams from 15 countries to showcase solutions aimed at bridging “technology to business.”

Features:

The competition continues WAIC’s cross-border spirit, gathering global academia and industry to build a closed-loop ecosystem from algorithm R&D to industrial empowerment, providing reusable AI commercialization models; focusing on six “AI+” tracks to address application pain points, matching technology with industry needs, and shifting from metrics to value creation. It also promotes regional collaboration in the Yangtze River Delta, supporting top teams throughout their lifecycle, and creating sustainable models with “Chinese solutions.”

China & Shanghai 8th Youth AI Innovation Competition & National Invitational: From Kids to College Students

Background:

The Youth AI Innovation Competition aims to promote “AI from childhood,” guided by the Shanghai Communist Youth League and other departments, centered in Shanghai, radiating across the Yangtze River Delta and nationwide, providing a platform for youth to learn and showcase their tech creativity.

Features:

This year’s event introduces a comprehensive training system covering all education levels, from kindergarten to university, including a new higher education program, creating a step-by-step AI talent cultivation cycle. It deepens industry-education integration with practical projects like drones, and combines innovation camps and AIGC creation activities to promote learning through competition. The event’s media coverage has expanded to over 20 provinces and cities, reaching more than 1.5 million people. Award-winning participants will showcase at the WAIC closing ceremony, further expanding youth science and technology influence.

Artificial intelligence is inherently a “young field,” like a continuously evolving life form full of potential; it is also a “youthful career,” embodying the daring, creative spirit of young people. There are no fixed answers—only new rules written by the youth’s code; no fixed paths—only new routes carved out by them. This mutual journey of “youth and AI” makes every line of code pulse with youthful rhythm—meeting at the most imaginative age in the most creative field, creating a captivating chemical reaction.

Original link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/_fTOq-QCLIrsmZvCT-xfmA