China releases guidelines for AI standardisation

AI regulation in China: China's Ministry of Industry has released preliminary guidelines for the standardisation of the artificial intelligence (AI) industry, as outlined in a statement on the ministry's official website. The draft proposes the establishment of over 50 national and industry-specific standards for AI by the year 2026. Additionally, China aims to actively contribute to the creation of more than 20 international standards for AI during the same period.

This initiative is part of China's broader efforts to narrow the gap with the United States in AI development, particularly in the wake of the global attention garnered by the US company OpenAI's groundbreaking chatbot, ChatGPT, at the close of 2022. In the previous year, Beijing took significant steps in formulating regulations for AI, including the introduction of a licensing framework for products akin to ChatGPT within the country.

The core objective of the draft guidelines is to "seize the early opportunities arising from the development of the AI industry," according to the ministry's statement. The proposed standards emphasise that 60 per cent of them should be directed towards supporting "general key technologies and application development projects."

Furthermore, the guidelines set an ambitious target of having over 1,000 companies adopt and champion these new standards, signalling a concerted effort to foster widespread adherence within the AI industry. This move underscores China's commitment to shaping the future trajectory of AI development, both domestically and on the global stage.

(With Reuters inputs)