China Offers Global South Role In AI Governance Push

China called for a new international AI cooperation body, warning that the technology risks becoming monopolized by a restricted number of powerful players.

China proposed establishing a new international organization to promote AI global cooperation through inclusive governance and open-source development. Reuters notes how this announcement  comes just days after the U.S. announced its plans to expand its AI dominance.

At the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, Premier Li Qiang cautioned that AI development risked becoming a privileged domain for a limited number of nations and corporations unless proper regulation and sharing mechanisms were put into place.

“Only by upholding openness, sharing, and equitable access to AI can we ensure that more countries and communities benefit from its advancements,” Li said, as reported by SCMP.

The proposed organization, which could be headquartered in Shanghai, aims to address what Li called the “fragmented” current state of global AI governance. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu reported that thirty-plus nations, including Russia, Germany, South Korea, and South Africa, participated in discussions about this initiative.

SCMP says that the Chinese government published a 13-point strategic plan, which emphasizes partnerships with nations from the Global South. The proposed action plan promotes joint research activities alongside AI education initiatives and high-quality training data development.

“We should enhance coordination and alignment to establish a widely accepted global governance framework for AI at an early date,” Li urged, as reported by SCMP.

The announcement by China occurred shortly after Donald Trump presented his low-regulation AI strategy, which aims to enhance U.S. exports and reduce what his administration calls “woke” AI models, as observed by The Guardian.

“The two camps are now being formed,” said George Chen, of the Asia Group, as reported by CNBC. “China clearly wants to stick to the multilateral approach while the U.S. wants to build its own camp,” he added.

China maintains its semiconductor innovation through domestic technology development despite U.S. export restrictions on advanced AI chips, and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang shows admiration for these efforts.

As the global tech race intensifies, AI emerges as the latest battleground between the world’s two largest economies.