Summary

China's Minister of Science and Technology Wen Gang has stated that research into artificial intelligence is an important priority, due to the impact AI can have on security, health, the environment and other key public issues. Wan said China will strengthen its AI research and train a new generation of experts to tackle key and frontier AI-related science issues, as well as accelerating the commercialisation and application of AI technologies.

He also said that the country also plans to strengthen research into related laws and regulations in response to possible ethical and social challenges caused by AI technologies, such as privacy, employment and national security, and that the Ministry would soon publish a guideline and detailed regulations on AI development.

The Minister also discussed the commercialisation of research findings, saying that recent policy changes such as allowing research institutions to manage their own innovations has lead to an increasing presence of academic research institutes in the market, up 20 per cent year on year. However, he also said that the policy change had exposed weaknesses such as a lack of experience in commercialisation among researchers, and said that the Ministry will release new policies in order to address these problems.

Analysis by Kevin Prest

Artificial intelligence has featured on China's science agenda since as early as the 1980s. Last July several government bodies worked together to release a "Next Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan", which among other goals called for increased investment in education in this field at both the higher education and basic education levels. According to a study carried out by researchers at the University of Toronto, China was responsible for 23 per cent of AI-related papers published globally in 2017, second only to the US.

The high priority given to AI will create opportunities for collaboration with UK universities, and international cooperation was specifically promoted in the 2017 development plan.

Sources

1. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201803/12/WS5aa5bdd4a3106e7dcc140ed0.html

2. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201803/10/WS5aa36affa3106e7dcc140d79.html

3. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201803/10/WS5aa367fea3106e7dcc140d72.html