Digital Culture & AudioVisual Challenges

Background: China’s approach to artificial intelligence (AI) legislation is deeply rooted in moral and ethical considerations, aiming to align technological advancements with what the Chinese government sees as the nation’s core values and societal interests. This strategy is evident in various regulations and guidelines that emphasize the integration of moral principles into AI development and deployment but at the same time attempt to create favourable conditions for the growth of the AI industry so that the Chinese companies do not fall behind their western counterparts. Central to China’s AI legislation is the insistence that AI technologies uphold the nation’s “Core Socialist Values.” The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) has been instrumental in enforcing this directive, mandating that AI-generated content must not subvert state power or challenge the socialist system. In 2021, China released the “Ethical Norms for New Generation Artificial Intelligence,” which provide a framework for AI development that prioritizes human oversight and responsibility. These norms emphasize the protection of personal information, mandate human control over AI systems, and advocate for the prevention of monopolistic practices in AI applications. The guidelines stress that AI should enhance societal well-being without compromising individual rights or public interests.  To operationalize these ethical principles, China has implemented specific regulatory measures. The “Interim Measures for the Management of Generative AI Services,” effective from August 2023, require AI service providers to ensure that their technologies do not generate content that undermines national security or social stability. Providers are held accountable for the training data and outputs of their AI systems, ensuring adherence to laws and ethical standards. Transparency is a key aspect of China’s AI ethics framework. The government has introduced policies mandating that AI-generated content be clearly labeled to distinguish it from human-created content. This includes the use of watermarks and metadata to inform users about the origin of the content, thereby addressing concerns about misinformation and ensuring accountability in AI applications.  While China is keen on advancing AI technology, it places significant emphasis on ensuring that such progress does not compromise ethical standards. The regulatory framework encourages innovation in AI, provided it aligns with societal values and moral considerations. This balance aims to foster technological growth that is both responsible and reflective of the nation’s ethical priorities.  In summary, China’s AI legislation is characterized by a strong integration of moral values, focusing on aligning AI development with national ethics, ensuring human oversight, and maintaining transparency and accountability in AI applications (Sheehan 2022, 2023, 2024; State Council, PRC 2021).

Methodology: This study examines different pieces of legislation and related regulatory documents issued by the Chiese authorities and CCP committees as a response to the rapid developments in the field of AI. The framework adopted is a combination of Paul Chilton’s Theory of Discourse (2004, 2014), which integrates insights from discourse analysis and cognitive linguistics including the cognitive theory of metaphor, with a constructivist approach to Role Theory, as imported into the field of International Relations (Wehner and Thies 2014). The aim of the study is to highlight how these regulatory texts construct identities and roles for the Chinese government which balances between reasserting its control and at the same time harvest the potential of new technologies.

Conclusion: The Chinese authorities have been spending considerable energy on creating an environment conducive to the fast growth of AI and AI-assisted technologies which they will be able to regulate using ethical principles and promulgating norms, in order to make sure their position in Chinese society is not challenged.

References

Chilton, P. (2004). Analysing political discourse: Theory and practice. Routledge.

Chilton, Paul. (2014). Language, space and mind: The conceptual geometry of linguistic meaning. Cambridge University Press.

Fazendeiro, B. T. (2020). Keeping a promise: Roles, audiences and credibility in international relations. International Relations, 35(2), 299–319. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047117820961816 

Sheehan, M. (2022, December 9). What China’s algorithm registry reveals about AI governance. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. https://carnegieendowment.org/2022/12/09/what-china-s-algorithm-registry-reveals-about-ai-governance-pub-88606 

Sheehan, M. (2023, July 10). China’s AI regulations and how they get made. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. https://carnegieendowment.org/2023/07/10/china-s-ai-regulations-and-how-they-get-made-pub-90117 

Sheehan, M. (2024, February 27). Tracing the roots of China’s AI regulations - carnegie endowment for international peace. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. https://carnegieendowment.org/2024/02/27/tracing-roots-of-china-s-ai-regulations-pub-91815 

State Council, PRC. (2021, October 1). Full translation: China’s “new generation artificial intelligence development plan” (2017). DigiChina. https://digichina.stanford.edu/work/full-translation-chinas-new-generation-artificial-intelligence-development-plan-2017/ 

Wehner, L. E., & Thies, C. G. (2014). Role theory, narratives, and interpretation: The domestic contestation of roles. International Studies Review, 16(3), 411–436. https://doi.org/10.1111/misr.12149