Beijing has cautioned that advances in artificial intelligence (AI) pose threats to China’s political, economic and social stability, while dismissing calls from the United States to slow the technology’s progress.
In a weekend essay published by a Chinese minister of state security, the writer identified six principal risks associated with AI. Among these, the minister singled out threats to the security of the political regime, digital infrastructure, public order, and national defense. The essay emphasized the potentially broad impact of AI on state functioning, though it did not enumerate each of the six risks in detail.
At the same time, the Global Times, a state-backed outlet, criticized recent arguments in favor of slowing AI development. The Global Times described an essay by the CEO of Anthropic that urged a slowdown as drawing from the "Cold War playbook." That characterization reflects Beijing and its state media’s rejection of international calls for moratoria or slowdowns.
Still, some Chinese analysts have counseled a different approach: pushing for a superpower compact on AI. These analysts argue that by making tactical concessions, China could preserve influence over the formation of global rules and maintain access to key international markets — a strategy some summarized as "advance through concessions."
The issue carries both political and economic weight: Beijing acknowledges AI’s risks to domestic security, yet resists external pressure to halt development amid strategic competition and economic considerations.
(This article is based on the available source information.)
