Can we govern AI in a fragmented world before it’s too late?
Artificial intelligence is transforming the world at extraordinary speed. It is reshaping manufacturing, finance, healthcare, education, scientific research and even the way governments make decisions. While AI advances at an unprecedented pace, one fundamental question has come to the fore: how to govern intelligence in an interconnected yet increasingly fragmented world? The question came into…
Artificial intelligence is reshaping the world at an unprecedented speed, impacting manufacturing, finance, healthcare, education, scientific research, and even government decision-making. As AI advances, a fundamental question arises: how to govern this technology in an interconnected yet increasingly divided world? This question gained prominence after Chinese President Xi Jinping opened the World AI Conference in Shanghai.
The debate over AI governance has shifted from discussing AI's capabilities to focusing on how it should be managed. While the United States, European Union, and China present different approaches, they all acknowledge that AI has become too powerful, pervasive, and interconnected to be treated as ordinary technology. Historical technological revolutions, such as industrialization, global finance, and climate change, have prompted societies to redesign institutions.
AI may represent the latest example of this process, as it influences virtually every aspect of the economy and society. AI governance should be seen as a new pillar of global governance, alongside trade, finance, climate, and public health. Unlike previous pillars, AI governance must address questions never confronted by previous systems, such as supervising autonomous systems, encouraging innovation without concentrating technological power excessively, sharing AI benefits between countries, balancing national security concerns with scientific collaboration, and ensuring AI strengthens public trust.
China emphasizes international cooperation, recognizing that AI governance cannot be achieved by any single country. While countries may maintain different regulatory systems due to varying legal traditions, political institutions, and development priorities, cooperation is crucial. The international discussion on AI governance must move beyond technology regulation to become a new pillar of global governance, addressing the unprecedented challenges posed by AI's impact on nearly every sector.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
