Bridging the Artificial Intelligence Governance Gap: The United States' and China's Divergent Approaches to Governing General-Purpose Artificial Intelligence

TL;DR

This paper compares US and Chinese approaches to AI governance, highlighting key differences and discussing the importance of international cooperation to address safety and security challenges posed by general-purpose AI systems.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of US and Chinese AI governance strategies, emphasizing divergences and implications for global cooperation on AI safety.

Findings

Differences in domestic AI regulation focus and principles

Distinct approaches to international AI governance

Highlighting the need for US-China cooperation on AI safety

Abstract

The United States and China are among the world's top players in the development of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) systems, and both are keen to lead in global AI governance and development. A look at U.S. and Chinese policy landscapes reveals differences in how the two countries approach the governance of general-purpose artificial intelligence (GPAI) systems. Three areas of divergence are notable for policymakers: the focus of domestic AI regulation, key principles of domestic AI regulation, and approaches to implementing international AI governance. As AI development continues, global conversation around AI has warned of global safety and security challenges posed by GPAI systems. Cooperation between the United States and China might be needed to address these risks, and understanding the implications of these differences might help address the broader challenges for international cooperation between the United States and China on AI safety and security.