Participants interact with a robot for social care at the 2024 Global Summit on Artificial Intelligence for Humanity on May 30 in Geneva, Switzerland. Photo by Xinhua News Agency's Lian Yi

The first meeting of the U.S.-China Intergovernmental Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence (AI) was held in Geneva, Switzerland, the European Union passed the Artificial Intelligence Bill, and South Korea and the U.K. co-hosted the second Artificial Intelligence Safety Summit....... Recently, the issue of AI's global governance is being put on the agendas of all parties in a tight schedule. "We are at a critical moment, and while vigorously developing AI, there is an urgent need to ensure that AI development is safe, reliable and controllable through international cooperation." Gao Xiang, director of the China Science and Technology Exchange Center (CSTEC), said at a seminar on "Regulation and Governance of Artificial Intelligence from a China-Europe Perspective" organized by the Think Tank for Globalization (CCG) on June 3rd.

Gao Xiang said that AI is booming globally and has become an important driving force for a new round of technological revolution and industrial change, but it has also brought risks and challenges such as information privacy, data security, deep forgeries, and scientific and technological ethics. Strengthening AI governance has become a common issue for all countries.

"The development of AI is both an opportunity and a challenge." Bertrand Lortholary, Ambassador of France to China, said that in recent years, the EU has been expanding in the field of AI governance, while also seeing the rapid development of AI in China and accelerating the exploration of effective regulation of AI technology. In the future, all parties need to play to their respective strengths and carry out all-round, all-level dialog and cooperation.

Patricia Flor, Ambassador of Germany to China, said that many countries and regions share the same concerns in the field of AI governance, but there are also differences. For example, there is a big difference between countries on the issue of "when and what kind of fields can use AI". In this regard, the United Nations can organize and coordinate global AI governance to address common concerns.

At present, the United Nations has set up a "high-level advisory body on artificial intelligence", with 38 members from different countries and regions discussing the development of the report "Governing Artificial Intelligence for Humanity", and promoting the formation of a broadly consensual framework and standards for AI governance.

Zhang Linghan, a professor at the China University of Political Science and Law and an expert on the UN's high-level AI advisory body, said the agency's interim report, to be released in December 2023, has already identified the potential opportunities and risky challenges of utilizing AI for humanity on the basis of fully absorbing the opinions of a wide range of countries, as well as planning a concrete roadmap and institutional arrangements for solving the global AI governance deficit. The recommendations and measures resulting from the report will be incorporated into the preparatory process for the future summit to be organized by the United Nations in September 2024, especially the negotiation process of the Global Digital Compact, one of the outcomes of the summit.

In addition to the UN level, the current bi-lateral and multilateral discussions on AI governance are also blossoming at multiple points. Marjut Hannonen, minister-counselor and head of the trade department at the EU Delegation in China, said that the recently approved AI Bill of the EU follows "risk-based" considerations and will provide a reference for global AI governance, and will try to gain the consensus of more countries and regions in the future. The Joint Declaration of the People's Republic of China and the French Republic on Artificial Intelligence and Global Governance, signed by France and China, is crucial to promoting the safety of AI development, said Bai.

Previously, China has officially released the Global Initiative on Artificial Intelligence Governance at the Third Belt and Road Summit Forum on International Cooperation; at the China-Africa Internet Development and Cooperation Forum held in April this year, the Chinese side also released the Presidential Statement on China-Africa Artificial Intelligence Cooperation of the 2024 China-Africa Internet Development and Cooperation Forum. Zhang Linghan said that China's consensus to promote AI governance between China and Africa and China and France is an important step and useful attempt to advance China's global AI governance proposition, which is conducive to conveying China's governance experience to the world.

"The heated discussions on AI governance around the world will accelerate the formation of a global framework for AI governance." Wang Huiyao, founder and chairman of the Globalization Think Tank, said that the United States, the European Union, and China, which are leaders in the development of AI, all play an important role in the regulation of AI as well as the formulation of regulations. In the current process of continuous and progressive dialog and communication, we are confident enough to create a good governance framework to promote the healthy development and standardized application of AI technology.

Source: Economic Daily News