WIC seminar discusses global AI safety and governance frameworks

The World Internet Conference Specialized Committee on AI (WIC SC on AI) held a seminar in Beijing on June 20 to explore frameworks for global AI safety and governance. As part of the AI Safety and Governance Program, the seminar convened over 20 prominent AI experts and scholars from around the world, for in-depth discussions on the draft report framework of the joint research on exploring frameworks for global AI safety and governance.

Zeng Yi, co-chair of the WIC SC on AI, co-lead of the AI Safety and Governance Program, and director of the International Research Center for AI Ethics and Governance at the Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, presided over the seminar. He introduced the structure and key considerations behind the draft report on global AI safety and governance frameworks.

Keynote speeches were delivered by Seán Ó hÉigeartaigh, co-lead of the AI Safety and Governance Program of the WIC SC on AI, and director of the AI: Futures and Responsibility Programme at the University of Cambridge, and George Chen, honorary senior fellow at the Centre for Civil Society and Governance, University of Hong Kong. 

Dame Wendy Hall, co-chair of the WIC SC on AI, fellow of the Royal Society, fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, regius professor of Computer Science and associate vice-president (International Engagement) at the University of Southampton, joined a representative of the WIC, in delivering the concluding remarks.

During the discussion, experts from institutions including the University of Cambridge, University of Southampton, World Intellectual Property Organization, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Moscow State Institute of International Relations, University of Hong Kong, Renmin University of China, Sina Weibo, Institute of Philosophy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Peking University, Tsinghua University, University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Tencent, China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, and the Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence, provided insights into the report’s research logic, key issues, and content recommendations, offering perspectives such as industrial development, mechanism design, safety supervision, corporate responsibility, and international cooperation.

Experts emphasized that current AI risk perception and global approaches to governance remain fragmented, and the foundational capacities for managing complex risks are still underdeveloped. They focused discussions on agile governance, sustainability of governance mechanisms, and tiered risk response systems. Given the high degree of uncertainty in AI’s evolution, they urged that any governance framework be both forward-looking and adaptable. 

It was also recommended that the governance framework align closely with the Sustainable Development Goals and AI capacity-building efforts, while incorporating tiered risk-response mechanisms. A globally informed yet locally grounded framework would help ensure AI governance efforts contribute to the well-being of all humanity.

WIC representatives noted that the joint research outcome are scheduled to be released during the 2025 WIC Wuzhen Summit. The report drafting team will systematically incorporate feedback from the seminar into the report structure and content, and will continue conducting literature reviews, field studies and data analysis. Further input will be sought from institutions and experts to enhance coordination and advance the development of the report.