The Pulse
Xi Proposes BRICS AI Open-Source Community in New Delhi
Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed five initiatives at the 18th BRICS Summit, including a BRICS AI open-source community and cooperation on large language models.
AI.info Team ·
Xi puts open-source AI at the center of five BRICS initiatives
Chinese President Xi Jinping has proposed that China take the lead in establishing a BRICS AI open-source community, supporting cooperation on the development and application of large language models, organizing AI seminars and training courses, and building an open ecosystem for artificial intelligence.
Xi made the proposal during Session II of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 13, 2026. In the official English text of his statement, the initiative is described as a BRICS AI open-source “community.” The Chinese-language text uses the term rengong zhineng kaiyuan zhuanqu, or AI open-source zone/area.
The AI proposal was the first of five initiatives Xi presented as measures to deepen practical cooperation among BRICS countries. The statement did not identify participating companies, particular AI models, computing facilities or a timetable for the community’s creation.
Xi Jinping, president of the People’s Republic of China, said:
China will be a pioneer in establishing a BRICS AI open source community.
Technology plans sit alongside trade and industrial proposals
Xi’s second initiative called for a BRICS special economic zone partnership. He proposed that participating countries set up an intelligent portal, coordinate policies and build what he described as a new frontier for open development.
China also said it would hold a BRICS Forum on Trade in Services in 2027, seeking to cultivate new drivers of economic and trade cooperation. The date follows the September 13, 2026, address, in which Xi said the forum would take place “next year.”
The third proposal was for a BRICS digital ecosystem cloud platform. Xi said the platform would be used for digital-skills training, technological exchange and industrial alignment in support of the digital economy.
A fourth initiative focused on intelligent manufacturing. China said it was ready to assist other BRICS countries in building smart factories and developing standards and norms, with the stated aim of promoting manufacturing transformation and upgrading.
China proposes engineering and youth exchanges
The fifth initiative called for a BRICS engineer cultivation alliance. Xi proposed joint development of engineers and mutual recognition of competency standards, while also announcing a BRICS youth exchange program for scientific and technological innovation.
In the same address, Xi described 2026 as the launch year of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan for economic and social development. He said the plan was both a development blueprint for China and a list of cooperation opportunities for other countries.
The five initiatives place artificial intelligence alongside trade in services, special economic zones, digital industries, manufacturing and technical training in China’s stated program for practical BRICS cooperation. The official statement presents the AI community as a Chinese proposal rather than a completed project or a commitment by named partners.