The 2025 World Internet Conference (WIC) Awards for Pioneering Science and Technology lit up the ancient water town of Wuzhen in east China's Zhejiang Province, celebrating breakthrough projects that are shaping the future of the internet.
From over 400 valid submissions across 34 countries and regions, 17 standout initiatives were selected. These winners, ranging from cutting-edge AI models and intelligent Internet of Things to embodied intelligence and quantum computing, showcase the global drive to harness innovation for social progress.
Highlights include Microsoft’s GitHub Copilot coding agent, Alibaba’s open foundational large language model Qwen, Baidu’s hyper-realistic digital human, and key technologies powering China’s BDS-3 satellite navigation signals. Together, they reflect a new wave of tech breakthroughs poised to transform industries and daily life.
“Innovation is the core force driving social progress,” said Wu Hequan, chairman of the awards’ evaluation committee and academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. “By pooling global wisdom, the WIC Awards shine a spotlight on world-leading achievements that power an open, inclusive, digital-intelligent world.”
Launched in 2023, the WIC Awards aim to recognize the year’s most pioneering internet-sector achievements and foster global exchange. The ceremony marked the start of the 2025 Wuzhen Summit, running through Sunday, where young visionaries, tech enthusiasts, and thought leaders gather to chart the next chapter of our connected world.
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World Internet Conference honors pioneering sci-tech projects
cgtn.com
