19 December 2024
President:
I thank Secretary of State Blinken for hosting this meeting, thank Secretary-General Guterres for his important speech, and thank Professor LeCun and Professor Fei-Fei Li for their briefings.
At present, artificial intelligence technology is developing rapidly, and its enabling role is becoming increasingly prominent, becoming an important force in promoting social development and progress. Artificial intelligence technology is like a double-edged sword. It can be a force for improving social governance and maintaining international security, but it can also be a source of threats to fairness and justice and endangering peace and stability. The international community should jointly strengthen the global governance of artificial intelligence, ensure that the development of artificial intelligence technology is in line with the common values of all mankind, and ensure that artificial intelligence is truly safe, reliable, controllable and fair.
China has always explored the scientific path of AI development and governance in a responsible manner. As early as 2017, in the “New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan”, the Chinese government clearly proposed to grasp the dual attributes of AI and prevent risks to the greatest extent. In 2021, China issued the “New Generation Artificial Intelligence Ethics Code”, integrating ethics into the entire life cycle of AI. In 2023, the Chinese government promulgated the world’s first generative AI legislative document.
China has participated constructively in the global governance process of artificial intelligence. In October last year, President Xi Jinping proposed the “Global AI Governance Initiative”, which comprehensively expounded China’s ideas from the three dimensions of development, security and governance. The resolution on “strengthening international cooperation in AI capacity building” proposed by China was adopted by consensus at the 78th UN General Assembly. Since then, China has proposed the “Inclusive AI Capacity Building Plan” and promoted the establishment of the “Group of Friends of International Cooperation on AI Capacity Building”. Recently, President Xi Jinping emphasized at the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Rio de Janeiro that it is necessary to strengthen international governance and cooperation on AI to ensure that AI is used for good and benefits all mankind, and to avoid it becoming a “game for rich countries and rich people”. Under the BRICS framework, China and its members agreed to establish an AI research group, which is committed to strengthening information exchange and technical cooperation and forming a broadly agreed AI governance framework and standard specifications.
On the major issue of the military application of artificial intelligence, which concerns the future and destiny of all mankind, China has demonstrated the vision and responsibility that a responsible major country should have. In 2021, China submitted a position paper on regulating the military application of artificial intelligence to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons. We advocate that all countries, especially major countries, should adopt a cautious and responsible attitude towards the development and use of artificial intelligence technology in the military field, comprehensively assess the pros and cons, earnestly respect the security concerns of other countries, avoid misunderstandings and misjudgments, and prevent arms races. We should continuously improve the security, reliability, and controllability of relevant technologies, ensure that they are under human control, and oppose the misuse, abuse, abuse, and proliferation of relevant weapon systems. Not long ago, during their meeting in Lima, the leaders of China and the United States reviewed the dialogue and cooperation between the two countries in the field of artificial intelligence, confirmed the need to address the risks of artificial intelligence systems, enhance the security of artificial intelligence, strengthen international cooperation, and promote the good and inclusive use of artificial intelligence, and stressed that artificial intelligence technology should be developed in the military field with a cautious and responsible attitude. Both sides confirmed that the decision to control the use of nuclear weapons by humans should be maintained.
The law of scientific development shows that in order to solve problems in scientific cognition and progress, we should neither do nothing nor give up because of fear. In the face of the rapid development and application of artificial intelligence technology, China has several suggestions for the international community on how to act:
First, we must clarify the guiding ideology. We must give equal importance to security and development, implement agile governance, strengthen forward-looking risk assessment and control, and encourage technological innovation and peaceful use. We must abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, abide by the basic norms of international relations, and ensure that artificial intelligence technology will not become a tool for waging war and pursuing hegemony. We must adhere to the people-oriented principle, abide by international humanitarian law and ethics, safeguard human dignity and human rights, and avoid indiscriminate killing and injury and misuse.
Second, improve governance measures. We should actively develop reasonable and feasible technologies for AI governance, establish a risk assessment and testing system, and implement classified and graded management. We should establish and improve relevant laws and regulations, and strengthen education and training for practitioners. We should adhere to the combination of human and technical defense, prevent systemic risks including those caused by hacker attacks or data deception, and reduce the risk of proliferation of AI military applications.
Third, strengthen international cooperation. Artificial intelligence technology is not a cake for a few people, and global governance should not be decided by some countries. China firmly opposes imposing rules made by a few countries on others and creating “small circles” targeting specific countries. We firmly oppose the establishment of discriminatory barriers based on ideological boundaries, which undermines the rights of all countries, especially developing countries, to equally use emerging technologies. “Decoupling and breaking chains” and “small courtyards with high walls” will only violate the laws of the market economy, undermine the international economic order, and disrupt the stability of the global supply chain. Only mutual learning between the East and the West, co-governance and inclusiveness, seeking common denominators and expanding cooperation are the right answers and the right way.
Against the backdrop of the widening North-South technological, digital and AI divide, we must uphold a spirit of cooperation, enhance the representation and voice of developing countries, implement the Global Digital Compact, and allow AI technology to benefit developing countries. In this regard, as the most universal, representative and authoritative intergovernmental international organization, the United Nations should become the main channel for global AI governance and coordinate major issues involving AI development and security.
As a major country in artificial intelligence, China is willing to actively support the United Nations in carrying out related work and contribute to the establishment of governance norms with universal participation and broad consensus.
Thank you, Chairman!