How China is preparing for the risk of AI escaping human control

China is proactively preparing for potential risks associated with advanced artificial intelligence (AI) systems that could surpass human control, according to recent comments from US AI developers. While debates in the United States center around the potential existential threat of powerful AI, Chinese policymakers view AI as a controllable technology, emphasizing its governability.

Beijing has been actively addressing concerns raised by leading US AI researchers, including Dario Amodei of Anthropic, Sam Altman of OpenAI, and Elon Musk of SpaceXAI, who have called for moderation in frontier AI development to prevent models from escaping human oversight and potentially causing human extinction. Chinese state media outlets have criticized these calls, arguing that an AI safety framework excluding China would be non-global and serve US interests.

The Chinese government has implemented strict regulatory frameworks and public statements to mitigate AI risks, including identifying operational loss of control as a security risk for AI agents, systems, and users. The country is also developing a mandatory national standard for AI agent safety, which would be the world's first of its kind.

However, experts note that the Chinese approach focuses on developer obligations, state-backed standards, security assessments, and outside testing, rather than embedding independent monitors within AI companies.