China launches initiative to address universal concerns over AI development: spokesperson

BEIJING -- Chinese President Xi Jinping announced that China will launch the Global Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance Initiative, which presents a constructive approach to addressing universal concerns over AI development and governance and drew up blueprints for relevant international discussions and rule-making, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Xi made the announcement in his keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) in Beijing on Wednesday.

"It is part of China's active effort to advance the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind and the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative," the spokesperson said.

AI is a new frontier of human development, and it comes with major opportunities and hard-to-predict risks and challenges that require global response, the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said the Initiative systematically outlines China's proposals on AI governance from three aspects, namely, the development, security and governance of AI. The core components of the Initiative are: We should uphold a people-centered approach in developing AI and adhere to the principle of developing AI for the good of humanity, so that AI is developed in a way that is beneficial to human progress; We should uphold the principles of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit in AI development, and oppose drawing ideological lines or forming exclusive groups to obstruct other countries from developing AI; We should promote the establishment of a testing and assessment system based on AI risk levels, so as to make AI technologies more secure, reliable, controllable and equitable; We support efforts to develop AI governance frameworks, norms and standards based on broad consensus and with full respect for policies and practices among countries, and support discussions within the United Nations framework to establish an international institution to govern AI; Efforts should be made to conduct international cooperation with and provide assistance to developing countries, to bridge the gap in AI and its governance capacity.

"China stands ready to have exchanges and practical cooperation with all sides on global AI governance and deliver benefit for all human beings through AI technology," the spokesperson added.