UN General Assembly Adopts China-Backed Resolution on AI

UN General Assembly Adopts China-Backed Resolution on AI
Photo: Getty Images 02.07.2024 1135

The resolution comes amid a war between Beijing and Washington for AI supremacy on the global stage, Bloomberg says.

The United Nations General Assembly adopted a China-led resolution meant to help poor nations benefit from artificial intelligence.

The non-binding proposal, which was co-sponsored by the US and many other nations, was largely symbolic. It looked to boost developing countries’ AI capabilities by encouraging “action-oriented international cooperation on capacity-building of AI.” The resolution also called on international organizations and financial institutions to use their resources to help.

China's permanent representative to the United Nations, Fu Cong, stated while introducing the draft resolution at the General Assembly plenary session that most countries, especially developing ones, have yet to truly access, use, and benefit from AI, and the global digital divide continues to widen.

"The goal is to help all countries, especially developing ones, equally benefit from AI development, bridge the digital divide, improve global AI governance, and accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," 

said the ambassador.

China’s resolution also recognizes the UN system has “an important role to play in AI capacity-building.” It requested that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres brief the General Assembly on the unique challenges faced by developing countries and give recommendations on how to address them.

The importance of the resolution has more to do with what it means for China’s technology rivalry with the US, with the two adversaries jockeying to write the rules for AI governance and portray the other as a destabilizing force. In March, the US rallied support for a UN resolution aimed at promoting “safe, secure and trustworthy” AI systems worldwide, a months-long effort backed by more than 110 countries as co-sponsors — including, at the last minute, China.

Sources: Bloomberg, Xinhua

digital markets  China  UN 

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