China Needs to Regulate Its AI Giants, Tech Watchdog Says

(Bloomberg) -- China should regulate the use of artificial intelligence to curb risks posed by the growing use of the technology, a senior government official said Friday. 

Protecting national security as well as users’ interests and privacy should remain paramount as the adoption of AI rises, said Zhao Zeliang, deputy director of Cyberspace Administration of China, the internet industry overseer.

“Like other things, AI can bring negative affects too,” he said at a media event in Beijing. Regulating the AI industry “is as important as developing it.”

Zhao’s comment come as China’s government tightens oversight of arenas from car hailing and online education to gaming, raising concerns about Beijing’s swiftly changing attitude toward the country’s tech giants. The biggest domestic AI players include Yitu Technology, which is said to be considering an IPO in Hong Kong after failing to win regulatory approval in Shanghai. SenseTime Group Inc. filed plans for an initial public offering in Hong Kong late last month, while smaller rival Megvii this week won approval for a Shanghai listing.

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With assistance from Bloomberg