Technological innovation in fields such as artificial intelligence should not be just for “rich countries and the wealthy” but open to all, the spokesman for China’s top legislature said on Tuesday.
Advertisement
Lou Qinjian made the remarks at a briefing in Beijing ahead of the start of the annual National People’s Congress on Wednesday.
Asked by foreign media how AI could help stabilise the economy, Lou pointed to the new Chinese chatbot DeepSeek, saying it showcased the country’s “innovation and inclusivity” in technology development, and that China had contributed its “wisdom to the world”.
“China will help bridge the technological divide and prevent technological innovation from becoming a game for the rich countries and the wealthy,” Lou said, later noting that he had studied computer science and had a keen interest in AI.
The development and regulation of the emerging technology is expected to be a key topic at this year’s “two sessions” political gatherings after Hangzhou-based start-up DeepSeek stunned the global tech world in January with its open-source AI models that are comparable to the US rivals.
Advertisement
DeepSeek was built at a low cost compared to the US AI-powered chatbots, and some say it has proven Washington’s hi-tech curbs on China were ineffective.