Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Thursday called for intensification of international efforts to create a fair, open and non-discriminatory environment for the development of artificial intelligence (AI).
Li made the statement in delivering a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 2024 World AI Conference (WAIC) and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai.
Noting that the risks posed by AI are global challenges that require collective action, Li emphasized the importance of establishing an inclusive international mechanism based on full respect for different countries' realities and practices.
He also called for efforts to create globally recognized governance frameworks, standards and norms.
According to Li, the scale of the core AI industry in China has surpassed 500 billion yuan (about 71.46 billion U.S. dollars).
"The development of AI brings both major opportunities and challenges. It is in urgent need for different countries to make in-dept exploration, build consensus, and join efforts to seize the opportunities and tackle the challenges. China is willing to work with other countries worldwide to promote better application of AI in serving global development, enhancing people's well-being, and jointly creating a brighter future of intelligence," Li said.
Li also put forward a three-point proposal for global AI cooperation featuring deepened innovation collaboration to unleash the dividends of intelligence, promotion of inclusive development to bridge the intelligence gap in AI, and strengthening of collaborative governance to ensure proper application of AI.
"More than 2.5 billion people worldwide lack access to the internet, let alone the opportunities to benefit from advancements of AI. Many developing countries have yet to get real benefits from AI development. Chinese people always believe that true development is development for all. We should join hands to create an AI development environment that is fair, open and non-discriminatory," said the Chinese premier.
As an important platform for displaying cutting-edge AI technologies from both China and other countries, the WAIC this year has set new records in exhibition scale, and the number of participating enterprises and new product launches since its debut in 2018.
With an exhibition area of 52,000 square meters, the three-day event showcases the latest applications of AI in such key areas as large language models, algorithm, robots and autonomous driving.
More than 500 enterprises, over half of which are from outside Shanghai, including global giants like Tesla and Microsoft, are participating in the event, with over 1,500 innovative products being showcased.
Chinese premier calls for fair, open, non-discriminatory environment for AI development
Sci-tech industry insiders and experts at the World AI Conference (WAIC) 2024 in Shanghai shared their views on how to responsibly govern artificial intelligence (AI) technology and address the ethical concerns raised by its explosive development worldwide.
More than 500 companies participated in this year's event, showcasing over 1,500 of the most advanced technologies. It had many companies stating they are investing in AI to boost industrial development.
Gu Yue, vice president and head of marketing for Schneider Electric's China and East Asia Operations, highlighted the company's advancements in AI technology.
"We have already organized one AI hub in China working for this purpose, and then also to keep improving our AI engine, and also to develop those tools, those platforms to empower a customer, either to increase their productivity or to decrease their energy consumption," said Gu.
Since the first edition of the annual event in 2018, this year's WAIC is the first to emphasize AI safety and governance, as reflected in its theme --Governing AI for Good and for All."
The EU Act on Artificial Intelligence, passed in May of this year, became the first major regulation of new technology on the global stage. France is among the countries leading the way and has expressed willingness to work with China to manage risks.
The two countries released a joint declaration on AI and global governance during Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to France in May this year, with the aim to promote secure, reliable, and trustworthy AI.
"It's really important that we work together because in an ideal world, the objects that we create would be commons. So, it's good to have for instance, a Chinese AI with a Chinese large language model and a French AI with a French large language model. But if we do this, we're creating gaps between our societies. So, this is why we need those joint statements and working together to try to bridge the gap between our countries," said Gael Varoquaux, research director of the French National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology.
On Thursday, the opening session of WAIC 2024 saw the issue of a Shanghai Declaration on Global AI Governance, calling for global cooperation to achieve AI's full potential for the greater wellbeing of all humanity.
"If we lack a global perspective, we're going to have a new divide in AI, just like the digital divide in the past. An AI divide is going to do a lot of damage to our future productivity, to our entire labor market, and to human development as a whole," said Zhang Yaqin, dean of the Institute for AI Industry Research at Tsinghua University.
Regarding cooperating on AI governance, Zhang said it requires countries to communicate and reach a consensus on different issues, including red lines for safety and regulatory standards. He mentioned that China is cooperating with big countries, including the United States, as well as with developing countries to ensure no one is left behind.
There are about a dozen official documents giving detailed explanations of China's philosophy on AI governance.
The Global Security Initiative Concept Paper was released in February last year. It calls for stronger international security to govern AI and manage security risks.
In July last year, interim measures were announced to manage generative AI services, aiming for innovation and balanced development and security of new technologies.
The Global AI Governance Initiative was announced in October. It proposes a people-centered, open, fair, and efficient approach to AI development, security, and governance.
Shanghai AI Conference calls for responsible AI governance cooperation
