China Urges Global Consensus to Balance AI Growth and Security

AFP/APP

Shanghai: Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Saturday urged the international community to reach a consensus on balancing the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) with the growing security risks it poses.

His remarks come amid intensifying competition between Beijing and Washington over AI leadership.

Speaking at the opening of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, Li said, “The risks and challenges brought by artificial intelligence have drawn widespread attention… How to find a balance between development and security urgently requires further consensus from the entire society.”

Premier Li announced the formation of a new Chinese-led international AI cooperation body aimed at promoting global governance and open-source development in the sector. He stressed that technological monopolies and export controls would restrict the benefits of AI to a few nations and corporations.

“If we engage in technological monopolies, controls, and blockage, artificial intelligence will become the preserve of a few countries and a few enterprises,” Li said. “Only by adhering to openness, sharing, and fairness in access to intelligence can more countries and groups benefit from AI.”

He also acknowledged that China’s AI progress faces hurdles, particularly in computing power and chip supply—areas heavily impacted by recent U.S. export restrictions targeting China’s access to high-end semiconductors over national security concerns.

Meanwhile, the United States continues to pursue an aggressive AI strategy focused on deregulation. Days earlier, former President Donald Trump had announced plans to remove regulatory barriers to AI innovation, aiming to secure American dominance in the sector.

Despite geopolitical tensions, Li reiterated China’s willingness to share AI advances, especially with developing countries, as part of its push for technological self-reliance.

The ethical implications of AI were also a key theme at WAIC. Nobel laureate Geoffrey Hinton, often dubbed the “godfather of AI,” warned of future risks by likening AI to a “very cute tiger cub” that must be trained properly or risk becoming deadly. “To survive,” he cautioned, “you need to ensure you can train it not to kill you when it grows up.”

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in a video message, called AI governance a “defining test of international cooperation.” Echoing this view, France’s AI envoy Anne Bouverot highlighted the urgent need for coordinated global action.

At a Paris summit in February, 58 countries including China, France, and India—as well as the European Union and African Union—called for inclusive, ethical AI governance. However, the United States and the United Kingdom declined to sign the declaration, warning against what they termed “excessive regulation.”

As the global AI race accelerates, China’s push for multilateral cooperation marks a call for shared responsibility in shaping the future of this transformative technology.