At the opening of the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, President Xi Jinping likened China’s AI boom to a prized thoroughbred—fast, powerful, but needing firm reins. The government says it will keep the technology sprinting while safeguarding society. To do that, China has layered a suite of laws and guidelines: the Cybersecurity Law, Data Security Law, Personal Information Protection Law, plus new rules specifically for generative‑AI services. Policy papers such as the “Implementation Opinions on Intelligent Agents” and the “Ethical Security Guidelines for AI Applications” set clear expectations for developers, users and regulators. Meanwhile, AI is evolving at breakneck speed. Large language models are being upgraded weekly, with parameters now in the trillions and a shift from static training to autonomous learning. This rapid progress is already reshaping industry—over 30 % of large Chinese manufacturers use AI, the intelligent‑economy sector tops one trillion yuan, and more than 600 million people are trying generative‑AI tools. But the same power brings risks: bias, misinformation, and misuse. Chinese officials stress that AI has no mind of its own; its impact depends on how people wield it. By balancing bold innovation with strict oversight, China hopes its AI ‘thoroughbred’ will stay on the track, delivering economic growth and societal benefits without veering off into danger.
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