Workshop on AI Governance and Sustainable Development: for Good and for All｜Wang Wei: AI to become inclusive engine for global development

Wang Wei, vice-chair of the WIC SC on AI, COO of Weibo, CEO of Sina Mobile, and dean of the Sina AI Media Research Institute, speaks at the Workshop on AI Governance and Sustainable Development: for Good and for All, which was held during the World Internet Conference (WIC) Asia-Pacific Summit in Hong Kong on April 14. [Photo/wicinternet.org]

Wang Wei, vice-chair of the World Internet Conference (WIC) Specialized Committee (SC) on Artificial Intelligence (AI), said that AI technology is reshaping the world at an unprecedented rate, and turning this technological revolution into a shared opportunity for all humanity. AI is not only a wake up call for us but also calls for a collective responsibility of the international community.

Wang, also COO of Weibo, CEO of Sina Mobile, and dean of the Sina AI Media Research Institute, made these remarks at the Workshop on AI Governance and Sustainable Development: for Good and for All, which was held during the WIC Asia-Pacific Summit in Hong Kong on April 14.

He elaborated on three critical pathways to achieve this vision.

First, building bridges and laying roads, allowing the digital expressway of AI to reach every corner of the world. Wang mentioned how developing countries have obvious weak links in core resources such as computing power, data, and algorithms. The China-proposed AI Capacity-Building Action Plan for Good and for All aims to improve the global digital infrastructure layout through North-South and South-South cooperation, weaving a "neural network" to connect all regions to the intelligent era's infrastructure.

Second, is to "teach people to fish" and cultivate local innovation in the AI era. The deep integration of AI and industry is essentially a collaborative evolution of talent, technology and ecology, said Wang. At present, developing countries have significant gaps in digital industrialization, vertical fields, algorithm development and data governance. To that end, the “AI Capacity-Building Action Plan for Good and for All” provides support for developing countries in terms of short- and medium-term training, joint education, and technology exchanges to help cultivate high-level talents in AI technology and its application. The essence of technological empowerment lies in stimulating the intrinsic drive for independent innovation, Wang added.

Third, working together to build an inclusive environment through open collaboration. Technological monopolies and data barriers have always been obstacles hindering the inclusive development of AI, and the "core key" to breaking this deadlock is "open sharing", said Wang. "Open sharing" and open-source sharing can lower the threshold for technological access, granting more countries, especially developing countries, the ability for independent innovation. The openness and modifiability of open source code allow technology to be adapted to local needs in a flexible manner, avoiding any incompatibility caused by a single standard, he added. 

Furthermore, Wang pointed out that data is an important resource for driving innovation and that a data circulation mechanism needs to be established under the premise of respecting the sovereignty and security of all countries. 

"Of course, this process requires the joint efforts of multiple parties around the world, promoting the compatibility of technical standards and building a framework of trust for data governance," he further elaborated. Only in this way can the open-source ecosystem become new soil for inclusive innovation, allowing technology to truly bridge the gap between regions and social strata - to ultimately serve the sustainable development of all mankind.