The 2026 West Lake Conference will take place at Hangzhou Grand Convention and Exhibition Center. [Photo/Tide News]

The 2026 West Lake Conference, to be held in Hangzhou on Sept 23 as part of the fifth Global Digital Trade Expo, will focus on how AI can move from assisting users to autonomously performing tasks while maintaining security and control.

With the theme "From Assistance to Autonomy," the conference will bring together industry leaders, technology experts, and policy researchers to discuss the opportunities and challenges brought by increasingly autonomous AI applications.

As AI evolves from answering questions to using tools and executing tasks, it is becoming more deeply involved in corporate operations and public services. AI agents can now connect knowledge bases with business systems, coordinate multi-step processes, and perform tasks within authorized boundaries, shifting AI's role from an information tool to that of a "digital employee."

This shift also raises new security requirements. Organizations need to manage AI permissions dynamically, monitor interfaces and actions, require human confirmation for high-risk operations, and ensure that execution records are auditable and traceable. At the same time, AI is enhancing cybersecurity through threat hunting, alert analysis, and automated incident response.

The conference will also examine how AI is reshaping security services, from round-the-clock AI assistants to new models of human-machine collaboration.

The event will explore how data governance, security services, and regulatory frameworks can evolve alongside AI, helping organizations adopt autonomous applications while keeping risks under control.