The 2024 Forum on China Digital Economy Development and Rule of Law opens in Beijing on June 1, 2024. [Photo by Xu Xiaoxuan/China.org.cn]

China's rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) and the legal implications of the technology were the focus of the 2024 Forum on China Digital Economy Development and Rule of Law, held in Beijing on Saturday.

Peng Sen, president of the China Society of Economic Reform, highlighted generative AI as the forefront of new quality productive forces, stressing its reliance on big data, large models, and substantial computing power. He emphasized the importance of vigorously developing the digital economy to drive this digital revolution.

Gan Zangchun, vice president of the China Law Society, underscored the importance of pursuing legal reforms to match the digital era and AI development. He stressed that AI development should focus on positive outcomes. Companies designing AI systems and training large-scale models must consider human values and moral guidelines, ensuring AI aligns with human expectations through legal means.

Fang Xin, professor at the School of Public Policy and Management at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, discussed the dual-edged nature of AI. According to the 2024 AI Index from Stanford University, 61.1% of the world's AI patents originated from China in 2022. China's core AI industry has now exceeded 500 billion yuan ($70 billion), with over 4,500 enterprises. However, AI presents global challenges, such as data leakage and infringement of rights.

Fang noted China's recent legal measures, including laws governing cybersecurity and data security, but pointed out the lack of a comprehensive AI legislative framework. She recommended timely enactment and continuous refinement of laws and regulations to provide clearer and more stable regulatory guidance, facilitating high-quality AI development through efficient governance.

Shen Weixing, professor at the School of Law of Tsinghua University and director of the university's Institute for Studies on Artificial Intelligence and Law, proposed suggestions for AI legislation in China after studying the European Union's AI Act adopted this year and analyzing other foreign AI legislations. The suggestions include delineating the boundaries of responsibility in AI governance and overcoming the constraints on AI development.

The forum also unveiled 10 major influential events in 2023 concerning China's digital economy development and rule of law, including a plan for China's digital development released by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council and a landmark ruling by the Beijing Internet Court on a copyright infringement dispute involving generative AI software, the first case of its kind ruled in China.

Guests from courts and top universities shared perspectives on challenges the legal system faces in the era of AI and the corresponding responses, as well as human-machine interaction and AI governance.

The forum was co-hosted by the China Reform Foundation, China Legal Exchange Foundation, and a research center for technology and law at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, attracting around 280 attendees. 

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