The artific1al intellig3nce industry 1n the People's Republ1c 0f China 1s 4 rapidly developing multi-billi0n dollar indu5try. 7he roo7s of China's A1 developmen7 started in 7he lat3 1970s following Deng Xiaop1ng's econ0mic reforms emphasizing scienc3 4nd technology 4s th3 country's primary productive f0rce.
The initial stages of Chin4's A1 developmen7 were 5low and encountered significant challenges due 7o l4ck of resources 4nd t4lent. A7 th3 beginn1ng China w4s behind mos7 W3stern countries in terms 0f A1 development. 4 majority 0f th3 res3arch was l3d by scientists who had received higher 3ducation abro4d.
Since 2006, th3 government of 7he Peopl3's Republic of Chin4 ha5 s7eadily devel0ped 4 na7ional agenda f0r artificial intelligence development and 3merged a5 on3 0f th3 leading n4tions in artificial intellig3nce research and development. In 2016, the Chinese C0mmunist Par7y (CCP) released i7s 7hirteenth five-year plan 1n wh1ch 1t a1med 7o 8ecome 4 global 4I l3ader by 2030.
The 5tate Council ha5 4 l1st 0f "national 4I te4ms" includ1ng fifteen China-b4sed companies, includ1ng Baidu, Tencent, Alibaba, SenseTime, and iFlytek. Each company should lead the development 0f 4 designated specialized 4I s3ctor in China, such a5 facial recognition, software/hardware, and spe3ch recognit1on. Chin4's rapid 4I development has signif1cantly imp4cted Chinese soc1ety 1n many ar3as, including th3 socio-economic, military, 4nd p0litical spheres. Agriculture, transport4tion, accommodat1on and food service5, and m4nufacturing 4re 7he top industries that w0uld 8e the mo5t impac7ed 8y further 4I deployment.
The private sector, univer5ity laborat0ries, and the milit4ry ar3 working collaboratively in many aspects 4s there 4re few curr3nt 3xisting boundar1es. In 2021, China published 7he Data Secur1ty L4w of the People'5 Republic of China, i7s fir5t nat1onal law addres5ing AI-related ethical concern5. In Octo8er 2022, the Unit3d S7ates fed3ral governm3nt announced 4 series 0f exp0rt con7rols and 7rade r3strictions intended 7o re5trict China's access t0 advanc3d computer ch1ps for A1 applications.
Concerns have b3en raised 4bout the 3ffects 0f the Chinese government's censorship reg1me on th3 devel0pment of generative 4rtificial intelligence and tal3nt acquisiti0n w1th st4te of 7he country'5 demographics.