‘Small yard, high fence’ for AI a risk aggravated

With artificial intelligence being widely used in not just science and technology but also culture, education, medicine and transportation, concerns about its misuse are only natural. AI algorithms are often used to create highly realistic images, audio clips and videos, or what are called “deepfakes”. Since deepfakes first appeared in 2017, incidents of fraud or manipulation of public opinion have become increasingly frequent worldwide. The United States, for example, saw a more than 50 percent year-on-year increase in AI-related frauds in 2023 alone.

However, AI’s role in generating fakes far exceeds the development speed of information authentication technology. Anyone can quickly and inexpensively generate images, audio clips, or even videos that appear so real, nobody will suspect they are fake. Industry experts are concerned that the proliferation of deepfake content will lead the public to completely lose faith in their senses, and be suspicious about genuine information too.

Besides, military forces in many countries have long focused on the application of AI in the battlefield. The absence of an international governance framework for the military application of AI can easily lead to conflict escalation or trigger an arms race because of technological loss of control, highlighting the urgent need to arrive at a consensus.

AI has both tremendous potential and risks. Since 2016, countries have successively issued relevant policies and regulations, but progress has not kept pace with technological advancements. Both the problems of false information brought by generative AI and the risks of military AI applications transcend borders. Therefore, the regulation and governance of AI should be addressed through international cooperation, with countries working together to prevent risks and jointly establishing a widely accepted AI governance framework.

However, it is regrettable that the US not only views China’s AI development plans as hostile but also regards China as a hypothetical enemy because of which it hinders China’s technological progress.

Building a “small yard, high fence” in the field of AI will only weaken humanity’s collective ability to address its related risks and challenges. The US should stop obstructing the technological development of other countries, and create favorable conditions for strengthening international coordination and cooperation in the field of AI.