Chinese Premier Li Qiang calls for nations to bridge ‘intelligence gap’ in AI

He tells Shanghai conference that nations should work for ‘fair and open’ environment so more countries can benefit from the emerging technology

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Chinese Premier Li Qiang described artificial intelligence as “the common wealth of mankind”. Photo: AFP

Published: 12:45pm, 4 Jul 2024Updated: 4:32pm, 4 Jul 2024

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Thursday called for more inclusive development of artificial intelligence, saying that many developing economies have been left behind.

He told the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai that the “intelligence gap” needs to be bridged. Li said nations should work together to foster a “fair and open” environment for AI development so that more countries can benefit from the emerging technology.

Li cited data suggesting that some 2.5 billion people in the world are still offline, and said many developing countries “have not really benefited from the development of artificial intelligence”.

“Artificial intelligence is the common wealth of mankind,” he said. “The Chinese people have always believed that true development is when everyone develops together.”

The three-day World Artificial Intelligence Conference is under way in Shanghai. Photo: Xinhua

Li’s call came just days after the UN General Assembly adopted a China-sponsored resolution urging the international community to ensure that developing nations have equal opportunities to benefit from AI, and calling for a “free, open, inclusive and non-discriminatory” business environment for AI development.