Cooperation key to risk assessment, safety

As the world’s two largest economies and leading powers in science and technology, cooperation between China and the United States in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) is vital, as it will benefit both sides as well as the world.

China and the US held the first meeting of the inter-governmental dialogue on AI in May. It has not only enhanced exchanges and understanding between the two sides but also demonstrated the complexity of AI technology and the governance challenges brought by differences in national conditions between the two countries.

READ MORE: Chinese foreign minister: AI should not be used to maintain hegemony

Unlike other governance actors such as tech companies and social organizations, the Chinese and US governments should shoulder more responsibilities, join hands to promote “AI development for good” and enhance AI technology regulation.

China and the US have different strengths in AI technology. The US has the world’s largest number of AI models and leads in basic technologies — such as chips, big data, and cloud computing — and talent training. China excels at computer vision and biological feature recognition, and the number of its patent applications for generative AI is six times that of the US, ranking first globally.

In technology, the Chinese and US governments can start from complementary technologies and associated industries, guiding various sectors to engage in more direct and effective dialogue and cooperation to bridge cognitive gaps and advance technological progress.

Exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and US tech professionals and industry representatives can enhance technological mutual trust and promote technological complementarity.

China and the US can guide their scientific and technological communities and industries to establish stable, in-depth, and sincere communication channels based on mutual respect to make full use of their respective advantages and achieve mutually beneficial cooperation.

In ethics, China and the US have common expectations for AI technology to protect basic human rights, maintain social equity, and manage development risks, but there exist differences in data use, algorithmic transparency, and automatic decision-making. Bridging differences is always hard and time-consuming. Yet, the two sides can cooperate to build up comprehensive ethical standards.

With regard to the business environment and AI regulation, both China and the US face the challenge of how governments and tech companies can work together to address the risks of AI. The “enterprise-independent” market economy model, also known as the “liberal market economy”, pursued by the US has declined.

Based on this, the two governments can further communicate on how to implement more predictive compliance regulations for AI tech companies and how to guide companies to play a more active role in AI governance.

In terms of building global consensus, China and the US should not only play an exemplary role in ensuring technological security and improving human well-being, but also bear the common responsibility of helping developing countries enjoy the dividends of AI development, given that the misuse or even loss of control of AI technology may bring catastrophic risks to all mankind.

In technology safety, the two governments should discuss the establishment and operation of AI risk and accident detection departments. Furthermore, on the basis of establishing a communication mechanism on the development and potential risks of AI technology, the two governments should guide their scientific research institutions, tech companies, and other technology development entities to actively promote exchanges and cooperation to share risk detection and prevention experience to nip security risks in the bud.

In improving the well-being of all mankind, China and the US should give full play to their respective advantages and exchange views on building a global AI cooperation platform and helping developing countries promote AI capacity-building.

The birth of a series of new technologies represented by AI will bring about an automation revolution in the production process, and developing countries with labor advantages as the lifeblood of economic development will bear the brunt. Due to emerging technologies, more investment could be shifted to advanced economies that have already accomplished automation, further widening the gap between rich and poor countries.

In this sense, China and the US should give full play to their respective advantages and guide relevant enterprises and social organizations to actively promote fairness and efficiency in global AI technology development.

In terms of talent cultivation, the two countries can make use of their existing expert teams and education and training systems to establish exchange forums and training platforms for AI talent worldwide. They can provide basic AI technology and application training for researchers from developing countries to narrow the technology gap.

ALSO READ: Talks reduce Sino-US strategic trust deficit

In terms of computing resources, the two countries can, based on reaching a consensus on infrastructure construction and platform interface standards, carry out specific cooperation with developing countries, such as joint construction of AI infrastructure and sharing computing resources network platforms. In addition, they can promote the independent operation of the AI industry in recipient countries, in conjunction with local AI talent training outcomes.

In a nutshell, in the face of rapidly changing AI technologies and increasingly complex governance challenges, it is imperative for China and the US to seize and deepen existing consensus, as well as conduct diversified cooperation in technology, ethics, regulation, and global governance through pragmatic dialogues.

The two countries should not only further enhance the overall capacity in AI risk assessment and AI safety supervision, but also work together to provide support for developing countries’ AI capacity-building, so as to build and share a sustainable global AI ecosystem that benefits everyone.

Sun Chenghao is a fellow at the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University and a visiting scholar at the Paul Tsai China Center at Yale University. Sun Yuhan is a youth fellow of the US-Europe Program at the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University. The authors contributed this article to China Watch, a think tank powered by China Daily. 

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.