China's Xi says AI should not be dominated by one country

China's President Xi Jinping advocated for a global, cooperative approach to artificial intelligence development, warning against any single nation dominating the field. Addressing the World AI Conference in Shanghai on July 17, Xi emphasized that AI's progress should be a "symphony of international cooperation," not a "solo performance."

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AI development should not be a solo performance by a single country, but a symphony of international cooperation.

Xi urged nations to jointly oppose the "overstretching of the national security concept" in AI and to avoid prioritizing one country's security above all others. His remarks come as China's AI models gain ground on leading US offerings, attracting global users with competitive pricing. However, the governance of the rapidly expanding AI sector remains a critical global concern, particularly regarding its potential use in military combat, by hackers, and terrorists.

The World AI Conference, a major event for China's AI industry, brings together over 1,000 tech firms, officials, and researchers. While the US maintains a lead in advanced chips and infrastructure, China is considered its closest and most comprehensive competitor. The conference features around 3,000 products, showcasing advancements from AI computing systems to autonomous smartphones.

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We should jointly oppose overstretching the national security concept in the field of AI or placing one country's security over that of others.

Xi also stressed the importance of establishing laws, regulations, and monitoring systems to ensure AI remains "under human control," advocating for a "people-centric" approach. This call for governance follows an agreement signed by 29 countries, including Russia and Pakistan, to establish an intergovernmental AI cooperation group headquartered in Shanghai, aiming for the "healthy and orderly" development of AI.

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We should put in place laws and regulations, technological monitoring, early warning, and emergency response systems, in order to ... ensure AI is always under human control.