China makes demands at World AI Conference
While the West fears infiltration by Chinese AI models, the Chinese government is pushing for new rules on artificial intelligence. US export restrictions are also a thorn in Beijing's side.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang has warned of the risks of uncontrolled development of artificial intelligence (AI). Controls are important to manage the risks and challenges AI brings, Li said at the World AI Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai. He proposed establishing an international organization and a globally recognized set of rules for this purpose. Currently, regulation of this sector is fragmented.
In contrast to the United States, China will "actively promote" the development of open-source AI, Li emphasized. Beijing is willing to share progress and new insights with other states, especially developing countries. "If we engage in technological monopolies, controls, and blockades, artificial intelligence will become the domain of a few countries and a few companies."
Less powerful models for export to ChinaAt the same time, the Prime Minister criticized a shortage caused by "inadequate supply of computing power and chips." In recent years, Washington has increasingly sought to restrict the export of cutting-edge microprocessors to China . Lower-performance models have been developed for the Chinese market; the export of these top-of-the-line products to China is prohibited.
US President Donald Trump unveiled a new AI strategy on Wednesday. The US is committed to broad regulatory freedom for companies – even though experts warn of the technology's dangers. In light of growing competition from China, the US is primarily concerned with defending its leadership in AI. Private investments in energy and infrastructure in the high double-digit billions are intended to cover the steadily increasing electricity demand for AI computers – a goal that environmentalists, in turn, view critically.
Deepseek shock in JanuaryAt the end of January, the launch of the Chinese AI system Deepseek put leading US companies under pressure . According to its developers, Deepseek was developed with significantly lower investment and less powerful chips due to US restrictions. However, the chatbot is comparable to US AI systems such as ChatGPT. Several countries have banned the use of Deepseek in government institutions, citing concerns that the Chinese Communist Party could gain access to sensitive data.
The government in Beijing has set the goal of becoming the global leader in AI by 2030. At the two-day WAIC in Shanghai, technology companies and startups will present their innovations in the field. In addition to Chinese corporations such as Huawei and Alibaba , Western companies such as Tesla and Google's parent company Alphabet will also be represented.
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