Efforts urged to address technology disparities

Despite largely enhancing production efficiency, ongoing advancements in artificial intelligence have prompted global experts to caution about the potential risks of exacerbating technological disparities and inequalities, highlighting the need for openness and cooperation to address these challenges.

"In the era of AI, we are standing at a crossroads where survival modes, social structures and civilizational forms are undergoing significant reshaping, leading to profound changes in our lives, work and cognitive processes," said He Junke, executive president of the China Association for Science and Technology.

He made the remarks on Friday in a keynote speech at a subforum of the Global Civilizations Dialogue Ministerial Meeting held in Beijing.

He highlighted the convenience that AI has brought to communication among civilizations by expanding the speed and breadth of information dissemination, as well as bridging language barriers.

Yet, as demands for technological innovation strength — which relies heavily on basic data infrastructure and substantial funds — continue to rise, the Matthew Effect grows, indicating a situation where countries possessing wealth and resources tend to accumulate more over time, and vice versa, he said.

Zhang Bo, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a professor at Tsinghua University's department of computer science and technology, cited a study that indicated an increasingly severe employment situation, with structural imbalances in employment expected due to the substantial replacement of low and medium-skilled jobs.

Bjorg Sandkjaer, assistant secretary-general for Policy Coordination in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs at the United Nations, expressed concerns over civilizational diversity amid AI development. "When algorithms are trained only on dominant languages or aesthetics, they can erase minority cultures or flatten the richness of human expression," Sandkjaer said.

"In the face of digital divides and the concentration of AI development, capacity building must be central to any AI governance framework. It's not charity, it's justice," she said. "The benefits of AI must be harnessed in ways that meet the needs of all people, not just the privileged few."