Global Courant
WASHINGTON — Top Chinese officials told Elon Musk about plans to launch new rules for artificial intelligence (AI) during his recent trip to the Asian giant, the tech billionaire said in his initial remarks Monday about the two-day visit.
The Twitter owner and CEO of Tesla – one of the world’s richest men – met with senior officials in Beijing and employees in Shanghai last week.
“Something worth noting is that during my recent trip to China, with the senior leadership there, we had some very productive discussions about the risks of artificial intelligence and the need for some oversight or regulation,” Musk said.
“And I understand from those conversations that China will initiate AI regulation in China.”
Musk, whose extensive interests in China have long raised eyebrows in Washington, spoke of the exchange in a livestreamed Twitter discussion with Democratic presidential hopeful and vaccine conspiracy theorist Robert Kennedy Jr, the nephew of assassinated US President John F. Kennedy.
Musk did not tweet while in China and Tesla has not released readouts from his meeting with officials.
But official Chinese channels said he lavished praise on the country, including for its “vitality and promise”, and expressed “full confidence in the Chinese market”.
Since San Francisco-based OpenAI launched ChatGPT in November, a wave of Chinese companies has rushed to develop AI services that can mimic human speech.
But rapid advances have raised global alarm about the technology’s potential for disinformation and abuse.
Musk didn’t elaborate on his discussions in China, but likely referred to a sweeping bill that requires new AI products to undergo a safety review before release and a process that ensures they reflect “core socialist values.”
The “Administrative Measures for Generative Artificial Intelligence” edict prohibits content that promotes “terrorist or extremist propaganda,” “ethnic hatred,” or “other content that may disrupt economic and social order.”
Under Beijing’s highly centralized political system, the measures will almost certainly become law.
Musk has sparked controversy by suggesting that the self-governing island of Taiwan should become part of China — a position that was welcomed by Chinese officials but deeply angered Taipei.
The 51-year-old South African native described his encounters in China as “promising”.
“I have pointed out that if there is a digital superintelligence that is overwhelmingly powerful, developed in China, it actually poses a risk to the sovereignty of the Chinese government,” he said.
“And I think they took that concern to heart.” AFP
