Job fears, security risks spark call for Chinese government ‘red lines’ in AI applications

hreats of job displacement and data security challenges are sparking concerns in China.

Photo: Shutterstock Chinese government advisers are calling for government-set “red lines” in artificial intelligence development and applications, as mounting threats of job displacement and data security challenges spark concerns in the country.

Jiang Xiaojuan, former deputy secretary general of the State Council, said at the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference in Hainan province that precaution was needed when using AI simply to reduce labour costs. “Those that do not improve service quality or promote environmental sustainability, but simply replace human labour – such applications of AI must be approached with careful scrutiny,” said Jiang, currently director of National Data Expert Advisory Committee.

The deployment of AI was not merely a question of market efficiency, nor could it be left entirely to market forces, Jiang said on Tuesday. “That’s a question policymakers should consider,” she said. “When [technology] causes extreme harm to people, the government must step in.” Precaution is needed when using AI simply to reduce labour costs, a speaker said at the Boao Forum.

Photo: Shutterstock Xue Lan, dean of Schwarzman College at Tsinghua University, where he is also the director of the Institute for AI International Governance, suggested drawing clear red lines for AI applications at the forum on Wednesday. “In many different fields, we have already given clear answers,” Xue said. “For example, using biotechnology to create humans is a red line we absolutely cannot cross … We must also ensure that AI technology remains merely a tool to assist humanity.” But, he added, the relationship between government and AI companies should not be a “cat and mouse” dynamic, where the regulator was the cat and the regulated enterprises were the mice trying to exploit loopholes. “In many cases, with new AI applications, no one really knows what potential problems the future might bring.

So at this point, both sides should engage in more communication and collaboration,” Xue said. “Because, in fact, if an application poses significant risks to society, it’s bad for the businesses and bad for the government.” As AI had already been implemented in industries from healthcare to transport, existing regulatory approaches in those sectors also needed to adapt accordingly, he said. “One governance challenge is how to organically integrate the governance of AI applications in ve

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