China has rejected what it described as a “threat narrative” surrounding artificial intelligence governance and warned against confrontation and what it called “malicious competition” in the global AI race.
The comments came after Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei called for a slowdown in the development of AI capabilities while also arguing that the United States should ensure China does not gain an advantage in the technology race.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters on Monday that narratives centered on threats, confrontation and malicious competition could undermine international efforts to establish global rules for AI.
“Threat narratives, confrontation and malicious competition only serve to disrupt the process of global AI governance and are in no one’s interests,” Guo said.
He urged countries to cooperate on the development of artificial intelligence.
“All parties should work together to advance AI in an open, inclusive and mutually beneficial manner, oriented toward the greater good,” he said.
The comments follow increasingly stark warnings from experts and executives at leading U.S. AI laboratories about the potential risks posed by rapidly advancing AI systems. Some industry figures have warned that uncontrolled development could pose an existential threat to humanity.
At the same time, U.S. President Donald Trump has emphasized the need for the United States to maintain its technological lead over China, making AI competition between the two countries a central element of Washington’s technology policy.
Amodei has called for a slower pace of AI development because of potential risks associated with increasingly capable systems, while arguing that measures should be designed in a way that prevents China from overtaking the United States.
China’s response highlights the difficulty of reaching international agreement on AI governance as Washington and Beijing compete for technological leadership while facing growing pressure to address the security and societal risks associated with increasingly powerful AI systems.
