Chinese officials have warned of the risks posed by the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI), before calling for stricter national security measures.
The remarks came from a meeting on Tuesday, May 30, in which Chinese President Xi Jinping and key members of the Communist Party underscored China's ambitions to take the lead in the global race for cutting-edge technology. Local news outlet Xinhua reported that local leaders discussed the need to "commit to maintaining political security and improving security governance of internet data and artificial intelligence." "We have to prepare for the worst, the most extreme, and weather the big test of high winds, waves and even dangerous storms. "
According to Xinhua, Xi said the country was facing a "dramatic increase" in national security issues and that China needed "a new development pattern and a new security architecture". This is not the first time Chinese authorities have taken action against AI development. In April, Chinese authorities announced a mandate to censor all upcoming domestically released generative AI services before they are available to the general public. These moves in AI regulation come as China has been aggressively pursuing AI development. Local developers have been working on workarounds for us Sanctions preventing the Chinese from using the latest Nvidia chips.
China is not the only world power paying attention to the trajectory of AI development. In the US, officials in Washington, DC, recently held hearings to understand the impact of AI surveillance on workers. US President Joe Biden has also publicly urged technology comp anies to address technological risks. Company executives are aware of the implications of unchecked AI development and have called on lawmakers to put up "guardrails."
