The first ever Nishan Dialogue on Digital Civilization hosted by the World Internet Conference opened on Monday in Qufu City, Shandong Province in eastern China, gathering hundreds of industry leaders from around the world, with the topic of Artificial Intelligence (AI) at the forefront of discussions.

More than 400 senior representatives from more than 10 countries and regions participated both online and on-site in the dialogue, which focused on "The Age of Al: Building a Digital World of Exchanges, Mutual Learning and Inclusiveness."

As technology becomes increasingly integrated into people's daily lives, concerns are rising about the potential dominance AI could have in our world. The dialogue sought to leverage the wisdom and insights gained from over 5,000 years of Chinese civilization to promote the development of AI technology and advance human civilization.

"In today's digital age, leveraging the wisdom and insights gained from over 5,000 years of Chinese civilization is crucial in promoting the development of AI technology and advancing human civilization. Our aim is to foster constructive dialogues that can facilitate the exploration of practical global paradigms for AI governance," said Zhuang Rongwen, director of the Cyberspace Administration of China.

Nishan, the birthplace of celebrated Chinese philosopher Confucius more than 2,500 years ago, was chosen as the stage for the inaugural "Nishan Dialogue", which falls under the wider World Internet Conference, aiming to gain valuable insights into how AI can shape the future of the digital world.

The three-day conference starting from Sunday is seeing participants from around the world engaged in a range of discussions on topics like "Establishing Secure and Trustworthy AI," "Revitalizing Industries with AI," and "Human Civilization in the AI Age."

Danilo Casertano, founder of the Associazione Manes education company in Italy, is keen to know about how this fast-evolving technology could revolutionize the education sector and is particularly interested in the potential for AI to allow educators to create more engaging lessons and learning experiences.

"I'm very concerned about education. And AI is at the beginning of this new revolution. And what I think AI could be useful is in coding experiences. For example, helping teachers to transform experiences into lessons," he said.