The Second AI Capacity Building Workshop, hosted by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, opened at Tsinghua University in Beijing on May 12.
Officials and experts from nearly 40 countries and international organizations, including ASEAN and the African Union, are taking part in the workshop.Ma Zhaoxu, China's vice foreign minister, attended and addressed the opening ceremony.
He said that Chinese President Xi Jinping's Global AI Governance Initiative has provided a Chinese solution to this contemporary challenge, contributing Chinese wisdom and pointing the direction for global AI governance.
Ma called on all countries to uphold the concept of a shared future for mankind and to maintain innovation, openness, fairness, inclusiveness and collaborative governance in implementing the Global AI Governance Initiative, making AI an international public good that benefits all humanity.Ma also highlighted China's role as an active advocate, promoter and pioneer in AI capacity building.
He noted that China has prioritized the implementation of the UN General Assembly resolution on strengthening international cooperation in AI capacity building, announced the Universal AI Capacity Building Program, and established the Group of Friends of AI Capacity Building.In a video speech, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies Amandeep Singh Gill stressed the significance of the China-promoted UN resolution on AI, and expressed hope for the workshop's contribution to global AI governance and international cooperation.Chola Milambo, Zambia's permanent representative to the UN and co-chair of the Group of Friends of AI Capacity Building, acknowledged China's leadership in strengthening AI capacity building in the Global South, noting the workshop's importance for implementing the Global Digital Compact and the UN resolution.The workshop is part of China's follow-up actions to implement UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/78/311.
The resolution, unanimously adopted in July 2024, encourages strengthening international AI cooperation through policy exchange, technical support, financial assistance, personnel training and joint research.
It represents the first global consensus document focusing on AI capacity building.
The first workshop was held in Shanghai in September 2024.