Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron held a meeting in Paris where they agreed on a number of collaborative measures regarding bilateral and multilateral cooperation to manage and regulate technology effectively. They pledged to take proactive steps to address the current and future risks associated with AI and to enhance the global governance of the technology to ensure its growth and deployment for the benefit of all.

The two heads of state released a joint statement on AI governance, highlighting their commitment to work together to promote safe, secure, and reliable AI systems based on the principle of 'AI for the common good.'

Xi and Macron recognize that the opportunities, risks, and challenges associated with AI are global and agree to work together through a comprehensive and inclusive dialogue. Parties are committed to promoting international cooperation and interoperability among AI governance frameworks and initiatives, building on work done at the UN level. Partners agreed that global governance of AI should allow for flexibility to facilitate the development of a constantly evolving technology while providing necessary protections for personal data and user rights.

Zeng Yi, director of Brain-inspired Cognitive AI Lab, professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and one of the members of the UN High-Level Advisory Body on AI who participated in the drafting of the declaration, stated that 'this consensus reflects the alignment of both parties on issues including ethics, safety, security, and the governance of AI at a fundamental level, laying the foundation for pragmatic and in-depth cooperation between the two countries in the field of AI.'

Why does it matter?

The joint declaration reflects a shared vision of China and France to ensure that AI is developed and used responsibly and for the benefit of all, while also addressing the potential threats associated with its design and deployment. France and China have also agreed to assist countries of the Global South in strengthening their cyber capabilities to address all types of cyber risks, including those posed by AI. International cooperation in AI governance will be based on the UN processes related to AI development and bridging the digital divide, which will be aligned with the first UN General Assembly resolution on AI that both countries adopted.