AI Ethics and Governance in China: from Principles to Practice
Abstract: In the recent past, China’s government has recently taken remarkable steps at regulating Artificial Intelligence (AI). In March 2022, China’s regulation on algorithmic recommendation came into effect, breaking new ground internationally as regulators in several jurisdictions are beginning to approach the technical challenge of promoting algorithmic transparency and explainability. The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) is primarily focused on the role algorithms play in disseminating information, which is unsurprising given its censorship authorities. However, the regulator is also concerned with how recommendation systems impact consumers and shape labor conditions for platform workers. A separate regulation dated January 2023 addresses AI-generated content, such as deepfakes. With input from industry and research institutes, other branches of China’s government are pursuing parallel efforts, such as developing testing and certification methods for ‘trustworthy’ AI systems. Despite these developments, China’s AI governance efforts remain poorly understood abroad, particularly outside scientific circles. Justified outrage at the Chinese Communist Party’s use of AI for mass surveillance and ethnic profiling, as well as at the associated human rights abuses, has led to skepticism towards the ability of the country’s ethical and political tradition to produce responsible AI. In fact, misconceptions about the relationship between AI and social credit experiments in China have even made their way into the European Union (EU)’s draft AI Act. Against this backdrop, this working paper seeks to investigate emerging approaches to ethical AI in China by studying the country’s first local regulations addressing AI, namely those issued by Shanghai and Shenzhen in the fall of 2022. Through an examination of original government documents, Chinese media coverage and local expert commentaries, which will be complemented by interviews with practitioners in a subsequent phase, this ongoing research aims to shed light on the actors as well as the ethical, political, and sociocultural forces that shape AI governance in China. Following an informed overview and analysis of the main Chinese AI governance developments at the national level, the paper will contextualize and examine the cases of Shanghai and Shenzhen to identify similarities and differences between emerging approaches to AI ethics and governance in China and in the EU, as well as any instances of—or opportunities for—mutual learning and intercultural dialogue.
Author bio: Rebecca Arcesati is an Analyst at the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS) in Berlin, Germany. Her research focuses on China’s technology and digital policy and regulation. She covers the global footprint of Chinese tech firms, digital infrastructure and surveillance tools, governance of data and artificial intelligence, and Europe-China relations in the technology and innovation spaces, including tech transfer. Prior to joining MERICS, Rebecca gained experience helping Italian tech startups scale in China and as a research assistant in the UN Women China office. She holds an LL.M. in China Studies with a focus on politics and international relations from Peking University, where she was a Yenching Scholar. Rebecca received an MA degree in International Studies from the University of Turin and a BA in Language Mediation and Cross-Cultural Communication from the University of Milan. She has studied and worked in Beijing, Shanghai and Dalian, Liaoning.
Recorded Presentation | 26 April 2023
#Ethics #Law #Policymakers #China
