AI REGULATIONS IN CHINA

China implemented some of the world’s earliest and most detailed regulations for artificial intelligence (AI), focusing on recommendation algorithms, synthetically generated images, and AI chatbots. These regulations aim to reshape the technology’s deployment within China and globally, impacting exports and research networks. Despite international skepticism, these regulations are significant and offer valuable insights for global policymakers. The regulations include measures to control information, protect workers, and require algorithm registry filings.

The approach of China in crafting AI regulations involves a policy funnel with four layers: real-world roots, Xi Jinping and CCP ideology, the “world of ideas,” and the party and state bureaucracies. This approach aims to project the future trajectory of Chinese AI governance and provides insights into the key intellectual and bureaucratic players shaping the regulations. The regulations set the foundation for China’s evolving AI governance, with potential implications for global AI governance.

In 2017, China initiated the development of some of the world’s earliest and most detailed regulations governing artificial intelligence (AI). These regulations targeted recommendation algorithms, synthetically generated images and video, and generative AI systems. The rules introduced new requirements for how algorithms are constructed and deployed, as well as for the information AI developers must disclose to the government and the public.

By 2019, China had rolled out binding national regulations on AI, creating bureaucratic and technical tools such as disclosure requirements, model auditing mechanisms, and technical performance standards. These regulations were aimed at reshaping how AI technology is built and deployed within China and internationally, impacting both Chinese technology exports and global AI research networks.

In 2021, China continued to implement targeted AI regulations, laying the groundwork for a comprehensive national AI law that is likely to be released in the years ahead. The regulations were part of China’s broader goal to become a global leader in AI development and applications, as outlined in the 2017 New Generation AI Development Plan. This plan set the goal of achieving global AI leadership by 2030, leading to an increase in industry activity and policy support for AI development.

In 2023, China’s State Council announced preparations for a draft Artificial Intelligence Law to be submitted to the National People’s Congress, aiming to create a more comprehensive, horizontal piece of legislation that acts as a capstone on Chinese AI policy.

The regulations were characterized by a vertical and iterative approach, with the government releasing new regulations to address flaws or expand the scope as needed. Overall, China’s AI regulations have been influential in shaping the global AI governance landscape, and policymakers in other countries can learn from the structural similarities and technical feasibility of these regulations, regardless of their specific content.