AI revolution: Friendly makeover or hostile takeover?

Global efforts

In October, China reiterated support for discussions within the UN framework to establish an international institution to govern AI and coordinate global efforts in its Global AI Governance Initiative.

Later that month, Guterres announced the formation of a 39-member global advisory panel comprising representatives from different countries and fields to tackle challenges in worldwide AI governance.

Zhang Linghan, one of the two Chinese experts on the UN advisory body, said, "AI governance should not solely represent developed countries' opinions.

"Developing countries also have the right to express their demands. Conducting AI governance within the framework of the UN can help include more countries, particularly developing ones, in the governance process.

"Advocating and promoting the participation of all countries in AI governance is also a manifestation of the concept of a community of shared future for mankind. If the development of AI technology has led to the emergence of a 'technological underclass', it will be a failure of the international governance of AI."

Zhang Xin said global governance of AI is likely to evolve in three main directions.

"The first direction is legalization. Current global governance of AI relies heavily on nonbinding measures. It is now widely acknowledged that relying solely on self-regulation by AI companies is insufficient, so we can expect more laws and regulations on AI in the future. The second direction is smart regulation, which means using AI as a tool to regulate AI.

"The third direction is a more inclusive global governance approach, incorporating the interests of developing countries into the governance framework. I believe China will play a significant role in this regard."

Contact the writers at yangran1@chinadaily.com.cn.