Shanghai AI Conference calls for responsible AI governance cooperation

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

Cultural experiences and historic sites have drawn holiday tourism in villages and cities across China during the week-long National Day which started on Tuesday.

In the rural outskirts of the coastal city of Quanzhou in east China's Fujian Province, tourists are given a chance to wear local traditional head-pinned flowers in Xupun Village, where more than 100,000 tourist visits have been received every day during the holiday.

It is a traditional custom for local women in the village to pin seasonal flowers in their hair when they are working on the beach, showing their affection for life and aspiration for a rosy future. In 2008, the custom was listed as China’s national intangible cultural heritage.

The seaside village also features old buildings made of oyster shells, prompting many tourists to pose for photos.

Cultural performances have also been staged in the village, including marionette puppet shows and Nanyin music, which features slow, elegant melodies and has been inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

In Zunyi City of southwest China's Guizhou Province, the Wujiangzhai scenic spot, known for its picturesque cultural scenery, has held a number of folk activities.

The stilted buildings, together with the river where a rowing stunt performance was being held, made for a photogenic sight to behold, much to the delight of shutterbug visitors.

"It comes into a hazy scenery, another kind of beauty. The journey has not been made in vain," said Xiang Lirong, a tourist.

Tourists at the site have also been enjoying traditional shadow plays while tasting tea. At night, they can also watch molten iron fireworks and participate in bonfire parties.

The Mosuwan scenic spot in Huangshi City of central China's Hubei Province, integrating traditional and fashionable elements, wowed tourists with colorful nighttime activities. The daily average of tourist visits has exceeded 60,000 at the scenic spot during the holiday.

A live music show was staged against the poetic backdrop of Mosuwan, exciting spectators.

"We are so exciting, and children will dance with music. It's a combination of China chic and pop music," said Chen Yafei, a tourist.

Visitors can also try their hand at making blown sugar figures at the scenic spot.

The 38 relic buildings in Zhengding Ancient City in north China's Hebei Province have attracted swaths of holidaymakers with their historical charm. Many tourists wear traditional Hanfu dresses, the traditional form of fashion once commonly worn by the Han people.

The 6.6-square-kilometer ancient city has received a daily average of over 500,000 tourist visits during the holiday, a year-on-year increase of nearly three times.

Zhengding boasts the sites where the TV program Dream of the Red Chamber, adapted from China's classic novel of the same title, was filmed in the 1980s. During the holiday, the ancient city has presented visitors with immersive performances that depict plots from the novel.

Cultural experiences draw extensive tourism across China during National Day holiday