In a speech on Wednesday, Chinese leader Xi Jinping acknowledged the necessity for a collaborative international approach to the potential dangers presented by artificial intelligence. This statement comes at a time when China exercises stringent censorship over the internet.China has been reaping the economic rewards of the internet and harnessing the influence of social media for the Communist Party’s dictatorial tactics.
Xi’s comments were delivered via a video message during the inauguration of the World Internet Conference Summit in Wuzhen, an eastern city of China.
In his address, Xi advocated for cyber unity rather than conflict and committed to partnering with other nations to mitigate artificial intelligence-related threats, voicing his opposition to any dominance in the cyber realm.
China is poised to foster the secure progression of AI technology, stated Xi, referencing the recently unveiled Global AI Governance Initiative by China that promotes a just and transparent framework for AI progression.
Li Shulei, head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party, reinforced Xi’s assertions at the summit, stating China’s intention to collaborate internationally to refine artificial intelligence technology in terms of safety, trustworthiness, manageability, and impartiality.
Launched by the Chinese authorities in 2014, the conference is an annual event to converse on internet advancement. Even though China restricts access to most foreign news and social networks, such restrictions are lifted temporarily in Wuzhen during the event.
In the prior month of June, it was revealed that hackers allegedly supported by the Chinese state had breached Microsoft’s cloud security, infiltrating the email accounts of U.S. officials involved in China policy ahead of a planned visit to Beijing by the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
In what appeared to be a precision cyberattack, the espionage targeted a selective group of individuals across various U.S. agencies, with officials stating that the compromised communication systems were unclassified and no sensitive data was taken.
Among the infiltrated officials was Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, who leads an agency known for its restrictive trade measures impacting several Chinese enterprises.
Previously, in September 2020, the U.S. Justice Department indicted five individuals from China, accusing them of cyberattacks against over 100 targets in the U.S. and elsewhere. These targets included entities in sectors such as social media, video games, academia, and telecommunications.