Ren Xianliang, secretary-general of the World Internet Conference (WIC), addressed the Digital and Intelligent Health Forum during the 2026 WIC Digital Silk Road Development Forum in Xi'an on July 22.

He underscored that digital and intelligent health is bringing opportunities to improve healthcare accessibility, drive pharmaceutical innovation, and promote equitable health outcomes for all.

During the forum, the WIC launched its Digital and Intelligent Health Working Group, a move Ren described as a key step toward fostering specialized and institutionalized cooperation in this field.

Ren outlined three priorities for advancing digital and intelligent health. He called for a people-centered approach to ensure that AI and big data better support disease prevention, clinical care, and health management, while enabling broader sharing of quality medical resources.

He urged stronger innovation-driven integration of digital technologies with the health industry, accelerating the translation of R&D into real-world applications, new products, and new business models.

Meanwhile, he stressed the importance of collaboration and global governance, particularly on data security, algorithm reliability, AI ethics, and mutual recognition of clinical standards, to build a secure, trustworthy, and well-regulated environment.

Ren emphasized that the WIC will utilize the new working group as a platform to unite global stakeholders, deepen practical cooperation, and promote high-quality digital and intelligent health development.