Chinese groups push for neutral global AI governance

A number of scientific groups in China are urging the government for a fair, open, and inclusive development of artificial intelligence (AI) globally, arguing that this can only be achieved if politics does not interfere with science.

The call gave rise to the Global Science and Technology Society on AI Governance, an initiative of 16 societies from various fields, including automation, electronics, computer science, and AI. These groups are affiliated with the non-governmental organization China Association for Science and Technology (CAST).

In recent years, AI has proved to be extremely beneficial to people by promoting efficiency, automating tasks, enabling personalized experiences, and driving innovation. But in the wrong hands, it also demonstrated how dangerous it can be, proliferating deepfakes and misinformation, which Chinese experts are trying to curb through active collaboration with their global peers.

The establishment of the initiative came weeks after CAST and several local scientific organizations snubbed the 2026 Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems (NeurIPS) following the event’s refusal to receive academic papers from certain Chinese scholars, as well as barring them from participating in peer reviews due to United States sanctions.

But participating organizations stressed that politics should not get in the way of global AI development, since cooperation is what will help the technology benefit people and industries, not conflict.

“We strictly oppose technological hegemony, academic barriers, exclusive ‘small circles,’ and unreasonable technological monopolies,” the joint document read, as quoted by state-run news agency Xinhua.

They claimed AI development should be guided by the goal of improving human welfare, while ensuring that systems are designed and used safely and responsibly. They also pointed out the need for people to have a better understanding of AI so they can see both its advantages and the potential risks that come with it.

However, this can only be realized through equal participation by countries in both AI research and governance, with no single nation or group dominating the field or restricting others’ access. They warned that a concentrated control of AI technologies could undermine fairness and inclusive global progress.

China and the U.S. have been locking horns since 2018 after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed sweeping 25% trade tariffs against Chinese goods. This did not sit well with the East Asian powerhouse, calling the move “trade bullying practices,” and retaliated with levies on U.S. products.

AI race tightens as China leads

Still in China, a report released by Stanford University’s Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence earlier this month found that China is leading in global AI research output, citations, patents, and the use of industrial robots.

According to its 2026 AI Index Report, the gap between AI development in China and the U.S. is getting smaller, as both countries continue to advance rapidly. At the same time, AI use is progressing across various industries.

In terms of producing top-tier AI models and massive AI investments, the U.S. remains dominant, but it is becoming more challenging for the country to draw in highly skilled talent from around the globe.

Meanwhile, the report raised concerns about how fast AI is developing compared to efforts to regulate it, with its environmental impact and transparency remaining critical issues.

The institute also highlighted the worries about AI affecting jobs, especially among younger workers, while education systems and responsible AI efforts are struggling to keep up with the pace of its development.

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