Fu Cong, China’s permanent representative to the United Nations addresses members of the U.N. Security Council during a meeting on Non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, April 24, 2024, at United Nations headquarters. The United Nations General Assembly adopted a Chinese-sponsored resolution with US support urging wealthy developed nations to close the widening gap with poorer developing countries and ensure that they have equal opportunities to use and benefit from artificial intelligence.
The adoption of both resolutions by consensus by the 193-member General Assembly shows widespread global support for their leadership on the issue. Fu said AI technology is advancing extremely fast and the issue has been discussed at very senior levels, including by the US and Chinese leaders. “We are firmly opposed to these sanctions,” Fu said. China doesn’t believe the rule will be “helpful to the healthy development of the AI technology per se, and will, by extension, divide the world in terms of the standards, and in terms of the rules governing AI.” He called on the US to lift the sanctions.
“We do believe that it is necessary for the international community to take measures to reduce the dangers and the risks posed by the development of AI,” he said. The US resolution recognizes that “the governance of artificial intelligence systems is an evolving area” that needs further discussions on possible governance approaches. It calls on countries to ensure that personal data is protected, human rights are safeguarded, and AI is monitored for potential risks.