Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai on the 17th (local time) and stressed that the development of artificial intelligence (AI) should not be dominated by a single country.
According to Bloomberg News and Agence France-Presse (AFP), Xi said in his keynote speech at the opening ceremony that "AI development should be a symphony of international cooperation, not a solo performance by one country." The remarks are being interpreted as a check on the United States.
Xi also said, "We must jointly oppose the excessive expansion of the concept of national security in the AI field," and "We should promptly establish a global AI governance framework based on consensus." The comments are drawing attention as they come while the United States and the European Union (EU) are restricting imports of Chinese high technology on national security grounds.
Xi also expressed a willingness to work with Global South countries (Global South, a collective term for emerging and developing countries primarily in the Southern Hemisphere) in the future course of AI development. He said, "We must prevent new historical injustices from arising in the AI field," adding that Global South countries should be supported to strengthen their AI capabilities.
He went on, "We will develop AI cooperation centers with Latin America, ASEAN, Africa, and BRICS countries," adding, "We will provide 5,000 AI-related training opportunities to developing countries over the next five years."
Meanwhile, 29 countries signed an agreement in Shanghai the day before to establish the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO).