China is making a major play for influence over artificial intelligence, announcing on Saturday that it aims to establish a new global organization to promote cooperation on the technology. The move is a direct challenge to the United States as the two superpowers compete to shape the future of AI.
Speaking at the annual World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, Chinese Premier Li Qiang stated that his country aims to help coordinate global efforts to regulate AI and share its technological advancements. Without naming the United States, Li took a clear jab at Washington’s efforts to block China’s access to advanced technology, warning that AI could become the “exclusive game” of a few powerful countries.
The announcement comes just days after President Donald Trump’s administration released its own AI plan, which focuses on expanding US AI exports to maintain its edge over China.
Li said China wants AI to be shared openly, and that Beijing is willing to share its experience and products with other nations, particularly developing countries in the “Global South.” He also called for a unified global framework to govern AI’s growing risks, saying the current approach is too “fragmented.”
The Shanghai conference itself highlights the intense competition. It brings together industry leaders and policymakers at a time when Washington has banned the export of high-end AI chips to China over security concerns. Despite these restrictions, China continues to make significant breakthroughs in AI. A Chinese official stated that the new organization could have its headquarters in Shanghai and would promote practical cooperation in the field of AI.
