As China edges closer to the proverbial 'splinternet' there is more talk of the advent of AI on the continent. According to IBM, ASI is a hypothetical software-based AI system with an intelligence scope beyond human intelligence, possessing cognitive functions and thinking skills well beyond that of known humans.

According to SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, at the implementation level, ASI will bring about real change to our societies in about ten years. The CEO assured investors of his company's plans to tap in to the trend, pinpointing the company's majority shareholder portfolio in the chip design firm, Arm.

Similar developments in China see Huawei releasing HarmonyOS, the beta version of a mobile operating system, and rival to Android on the continent. Versions of the software are carded to come to market housed in smartphones, tablets, computers, smartwatches, smart glasses and earbuds by year end. The company also plans to build an ecosystem around the OS. Such technological developments in China further behooves the East and West to approach the table of negotiations as equals in the field of AI and other emerging technologies governance.