Nothing artificial in volunteers’ intelligence

ABOUT 1,000 volunteers, mostly from local universities, will be on hand to attend to the needs of international participants in the World Artificial Intelligence Conference to be held in Xuhui District next week.

The volunteers, recruited from more than 20 universities, will provide information, first aid and interpretation services to speakers and other participants.

They will be highly recognizable, in brilliant white T-shirts with a reflective silver WAIC logo on the chest.

Training began yesterday at conference venues on Xuhui riverside, otherwise known as the West Bund. The four-day training sessions include English conversation, handling emergencies and an introduction to the West Bund area.

“We volunteers all have good English skills and a vocabulary laden with AI-related words,” said Song Sai, a postgraduate student with East China Normal University.

The computer science sophomore said she was both excited and nervous to work at such a high-profile international event.

Song’s classmate Wang Rui is among the “personal attendants” for VIP participants at the conference, especially those from abroad. “I have received training in both English language and etiquette to make the guests feel at home,” she said.

WAIC is expected to attract 270 speakers including top business executives and leading researchers.

From September 17-19, executives from tech companies will discuss the impact of artificial intelligence on the economy and society.