How Xi Jinping Aims to Win Over Developing Countries for His AI Policy

At the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, Chinese President and Party leader Xi Jinping advocated for a global framework for AI governance. He stressed the need to consider both the opportunities and security implications of artificial intelligence, framing it as a pivotal change in the current century.

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The world is facing changes unseen in a century.

Xi described the global development of AI as entering a phase of unprecedented activity, presenting significant opportunities alongside considerable governance challenges. The conference, initiated by Beijing, brought together delegates from 29 countries, primarily from the Global South's technology sector and government representatives from emerging and developing nations. Notable attendees included the presidents of Kazakhstan and the prime ministers of Cambodia and Thailand. Notably, representatives from Western corporations and governments were not present.

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The global development of AI is entering a phase of unprecedented activity; this brings great opportunities but also great challenges for governance.

Positioning himself as an advocate for less developed nations, Xi asserted that AI should remain a public good, primarily benefiting humanity. He pledged China's continued commitment to open-source AI models while underscoring the necessity of balancing "development and security." This comes shortly after Chinese officials reportedly signaled to domestic tech firms the potential need to restrict foreign access to their AI models due to national security concerns, as previously reported by Reuters.

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AI must remain a public good and primarily benefit humanity.

Xi outlined four general principles for global AI governance. These include ensuring openness and cooperation among various stakeholders based on a "win-win principle." He encouraged countries to leverage opportunities and adopt open-source developments in AI. The conference aims to foster international dialogue on the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence and its impact on the global community.

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The policy must strike the right balance between 'development and security'.