Nanjing Hosts 2026 Physics AI and World Models Conference, China’s First High-Level Industry Gathering

The 2026 Physics AI and World Models Conference was held in Nanjing from October 19 to 22, marking China’s first high-level comprehensive industry gathering dedicated to the emerging field. The event was jointly hosted by Jiangsu Data Group, Nanjing Big Data Group and the Chinese Association for Artificial Intelligence, under the theme “Modeling the Physical World, Enlightening a Better Future.”

Organizers brought together Turing Award winners, academicians from China’s two major science and engineering academies, leading industry figures and relevant companies. Their discussions focused on new directions for artificial intelligence as it moves from digital environments toward physical-world understanding and interaction.

The program combined frontier technical seminars with industrial achievement showcases, project signings and capital empowerment. Topics spanned medical and health world models, industrial world models, data development, autonomous driving and embodied intelligence, reflecting the broad application potential of physics-aware AI.

The conference also sought to connect research, industry and investment, positioning world models as a foundation for future intelligent systems. By convening high-level participants across sectors, it aimed to support China’s exploration of physical AI and accelerate the translation of laboratory advances into real-world applications.