Chinese newspaper People’s Daily warns against ‘iron curtain’ in world AI

China's influential state newspaper, People's Daily, has issued a strong warning against the development of an "AI Iron Curtain," urging global cooperation and opposing monopolistic control over artificial intelligence technology. The commentary, published on June 14, sets a critical tone ahead of President Xi Jinping's keynote address at a prominent tech summit.

The newspaper criticized what it termed an "oil mindset" in AI development, where countries treat data and computing resources as scarce commodities, thereby erecting barriers and fostering unnecessary competition. Instead, it promoted a "water" approach, emphasizing the shared use of resources for the collective good and humanity's benefit. This stance comes as China itself is reportedly considering measures to limit overseas access to its most advanced AI models, mirroring concerns raised by the U.S. regarding national security.

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The development of artificial intelligence must never devolve into a monopolistic practice of self-imposed isolation, but should instead remain focused on the fundamental goal of serving humanity.

People's Daily argued that AI development should not lead to "self-imposed isolation" but must remain focused on serving humanity. This call for openness contrasts with the actions of some Western AI labs, such as Anthropic, which have reportedly curtailed foreign access to their cutting-edge models. The commentary also echoed sentiments from Zhipu founder Tang Jie, who believes frontier AI should be broadly accessible rather than controlled by a select few.

The state paper highlighted the success of Chinese developers like DeepSeek, Alibaba, and Zhipu in embracing open-source frameworks, which has accelerated their global adoption. However, the article also acknowledges the growing global debate surrounding the risks posed by increasingly powerful AI models, including their potential to aid cyber-attackers and compromise national security. The commentary concludes by stressing that AI is inherently cross-border and cross-discipline, and no single country can remain immune to its risks and challenges.

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AI is inherently cross-border and cross-discipline, and no country can be immune to the risks and challenges brought by the technology.