The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the scientific and technological landscape worldwide. However, like a double-edged sword, AI presents both unprecedented opportunities and significant challenges.
At a recent forum hosted by the China Association for Science and Technology, leading AI experts gathered to discuss strategies for enhancing AI safety governance and standardizing regulations. Professor Zhang Ping, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, highlighted the ethical dilemmas posed by generative AI (GenAI).
\"Issues related to identity fraud, inappropriate speech, violent rhetoric, and illegal activities based on artificial intelligence generated content (AIGC) are frequently encountered,\" Professor Zhang Ping explained. He cited a troubling case where a financial employee at a multinational company in Hong Kong was deceived by a fraudster using an AI deepfake to impersonate the company's CFO, resulting in losses of up to 200 million Hong Kong dollars (approximately $25.8 million).
Professor Zhang Jianwei, a foreign academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a member of the German National Academy of Engineering Sciences and the Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Hamburg, emphasized the potential of embodied intelligence. He envisions applications that enable more flexible automation and support elderly care and domestic services.
\"After the pandemic, the use of robots to replace humans in certain tasks in virus laboratories represents a highly promising industrial scenario,\" said Professor Zhang Jianwei. He also stressed the importance of addressing ethical concerns, questioning how to effectively govern AI.
In response, China has proactively implemented measures to tackle AI safety and governance issues. On July 13, 2023, the Cyberspace Administration of China, alongside six other departments, released the Interim Administrative Measures for GenAI Services. This landmark regulatory document provides essential policy support for the burgeoning AIGC technology.
Additionally, Professor Zhang Ping's team is pioneering technical research to bolster global AI safety governance. Guided by principles of innovation and technological benevolence, they are developing a conceptual framework for artificial general intelligence (AGI) focused on superalignment technology to ensure AI aligns with human values.
\"When training embodied AI, we need to teach it morality, just like educating a child,\" Professor Zhang Jianwei remarked. \"We provide the AI with moral models and data during its training process. Only after this training can it be deployed.\"
Wan Gang, president of the China Association for Science and Technology, echoed the sentiment at the 2024 World Science and Technology Development Forum. He called for global collaboration to align AI-related laws, regulations, and standards, and to strengthen the assessment of safety risks, including the credibility, reliability, and controllability of AI.
Reference(s):
AI Ethics and Governance: Enhancing Reliability and Controllability
cgtn.com
