ZHU Rongsheng, Postdoc fellow, CISS, Tsinghua University

CHEN Qi, Deputy Director, CISS; Professor at Institute for AI International Governance, Tsinghua University

An AI robot plays Go with a human player. (PHOTO: VCG)

As more attention is paid to the development of AI technology and the  global risks associated with its application, how to promote "AI for good" has become a hot topic in global governance. As a responsible power, China adheres to the principle of "people-centered" to improve the construction of domestic technology regulation, actively participates in forming UNESCO's Recommendation on the Ethics of AI and the G20 AI principle. These efforts reflect China's contribution to promoting AI global governance.

However, developed countries are accelerating the layout of digital industries in order to maintain their leading position of high technology. Intelligent-combat platforms have produced dramatic battlefield effects in the Nagorno-Karabakh war and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which stimulate the arms race of AI among major countries. Especially, the United States has built a "small yard with high fence" against  China in the field of science and technology. These factors make it even more difficult to push AI into global governance towards coordination, consensus and compliance.

In the face of various difficulties in the global governance of AI, China insists on the correct idea of "science and technology for good" to promote the realization of "intelligence for well-being." In March 2022, the Opinion on Strengthening the Ethics and Governance in Science and Technology was issued, and the requirement of "ethics first" was proposed. The document emphasises that it is necessary to shape the culture and mechanism of science and technology for good, so as to provide strong support for improving human well-being and promoting the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind.

In terms of the practice of "science and technology for good", China has issued the Governance Principles for the New Generation AI and the New Generation of AI Ethics Code to establish the regulation principles of "responsible AI," and formulated the Provisions on the Online Protection of Children's Personal Information to strengthen information protection for minors. The E-commerce Law, Civil Code, and Personal Information Protection Law of the People's Republic of China and other laws have been promulgated to restrain government departments, enterprises, organizations, and individuals from abusing and misusing private information.

The Chinese leaders have proposed "China Initiative" with the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind on many international occasions, which has provided vital leadership into AI global governance. Especially, President Xi Jinping proposed Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative successively on September 21, 2021 and April 21, 2022. It is an expression of the idea of ensuring development and security comprehensively to the world. And its essence is to put the joint development of human beings in the priority of global governance, make sure technology innovation to create a better world, and take prevention and resolution of conflicts as the bottom line, while avoiding the tendency of technology being evil leads humanity to a worse world.

Although there is no answer about how to promote AI global governance, outstanding political wisdom and the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind are indispensable.

At present, non-binding international "soft rules" of AI governance are springing up, while bilateral or multilateral "hard rules" with legal force are few and far between.

Facing the imbalance development of global governance rules, what the world needs is not unilateralism, protectionism, decoupling and breaking chains, sanction, or ideological confrontation, but to uphold the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, to adhere to the true multilateralism, and to establish an "AI for good" community with a shared future for mankind. 

(This article was first published on Science and Technology Daily on August 18, 2022)