China warns of ‘complicated and challenging circumstances’ posed by AI risk

China is warning about the threat of artificial intelligence (AI) and has called for increased security measures.  

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) issued a warning Tuesday about the possible risks advances in AI can pose, including harm to political and social issues. This warning followed one issued Tuesday by technology leaders, who said the development of AI increases the risk of extinction and should be regulated alongside the threat of pandemics and nuclear weapons.  

The statement was issued after a meeting led by Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who highlighted the concerns of advancing technologies, including AI. The official Xinhua News Agency reported Xi called for additional national security measures amid emerging threats.  

The agency reported Xi called for “staying keenly aware of the complicated and challenging circumstances facing national security and correctly grasping major national security issues.”

They also focused on being prepared to “deal with worse-case and extreme-case scenarios,” according to the news agency.  

“[The meeting] urged dedicated efforts to safeguard political security and improve the security governance of internet data and artificial intelligence,” the news agency said. “Furthermore, it called for expedited endeavors to establish a risk monitoring and early warning system.”

The warning, signed by scientists and technology leaders, including executives at Google and Microsoft, was a single sentence highlighting the severity of threats posed by AI. It comes as countries try to figure out how to regulate the technology, with many technology experts warning that it could become a risk to humankind.  

“Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war,” the statement said.