China's AI Ethics Governance
Many will be surprised to learn that China's approach to AI ethics is more comprehensive, structured, and pragmatic than what we find today in the United States and the European Union | Edition #285
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China’s AI Ethics Governance
Last week, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, together with eight other departments, released the country's “Trial Measures for Ethical Review and Service of AI Technology.”
The document gives us a glimpse into what the country calls ‘ethical governance of AI’ and the types of policies and technical measures it considers necessary to implement AI ethics in practice.
As I explain the main provisions below, many will be surprised to learn that China's approach to AI ethics is more comprehensive, structured, and pragmatic than what we find today in the United States and the European Union.
Countries and organizations interested in building strong AI governance systems should take note.
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Before we start, a reminder that, contrary to what many might think, China has been consistently and comprehensively regulating AI.
Some of its recent legal proposals show that the country takes AI risks and harms seriously, and that its approach aligns with the latest technical and social science studies, as I wrote in January regarding China's new bill on AI anthropomorphism.
Regarding the present AI ethics governance measures, which the country made public on April 2, they build on the country's “Opinions on Strengthening the Governance of Science and Technology Ethics,” released in March 2022, and its “Measures for the Ethical Review of Science and Technology,” effective from December 2023.
These developments show China’s growing efforts to operationalize and implement ethical review and governance of AI at both the technical and compliance levels.
Below, I have selected several articles that help us understand China’s AI ethics governance in practice and can serve as inspiration for countries and organizations interested in building and strengthening their legal and ethical AI frameworks.
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Article 1 explains the goal of the AI ethics governance measures, how the country sees AI ethics, and the values associated with it:
“In order to regulate the ethical governance of AI science and technology activities, promote fairness, justice, harmony, safety, and responsible innovation, and facilitate the healthy development of the AI industry, these Measures are formulated in accordance with the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Scientific and Technological Progress, the Opinions on Strengthening the Governance of Science and Technology Ethics, the Measures for the Ethical Review of Science and Technology (Interim), and other relevant laws, regulations, and provisions.”
Article 2 details the main scope of the measures. Notice how it applies to both scientific research and technological development activities, and how it frames ethical risk broadly, similarly to how the EU frames fundamental rights in its AI Act:
“The AI technology activities to which this regulation applies are AI scientific research and technological development activities conducted within the territory of the People’s Republic of China that may pose ethical risks and challenges to human dignity, public order, life and health, the ecological environment, and sustainable development, as well as other scientific and technological activities that require ethical review of AI technology according to laws, administrative regulations, and relevant national provisions.”
Article 3 highlights a “full lifecycle” approach to AI ethics (the technical perspective) and a direct, inherent connection to legal compliance (the legal perspective):
“The ethical requirements of AI technology activities should be integrated throughout the entire process, adhering to the ethical principles of promoting human well-being, respecting the right to life, upholding fairness and justice, reasonably controlling risks, maintaining openness and transparency, protecting privacy and security, and ensuring controllability and trustworthiness, and complying with the Constitution, laws, regulations, and relevant provisions of the People’s Republic of China.”
Bridging AI ethics with technical standards and legal compliance is one of the most important aspects of China's AI ethics governance measures.
In recent years, we have observed a phenomenon called “AI ethics washing,” in which companies publish a broad, idealistic AI ethics approach that is disconnected from legal compliance or liability, serving merely as a branding strategy.
To counter that, China's AI ethics governance connects broad ethical principles with full legal compliance, discouraging the trivialization of ethics and AI ethics washing.
Now, a central part of this document is where China explicitly translates AI ethics principles into practical implementation measures. Let's dive in:
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