At the World Internet Conference held on November 21, 2024, in Wuzhen, Zhejiang, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for a 'shared future in cyberspace,' emphasizing the need for inclusive development amid escalating technological tensions between the US and China. Xi highlighted the unpredictable risks associated with AI technologies and urged global cooperation to address these challenges [b4e39501].
In a related session, Alibaba CEO Eddie Wu Yongming underscored the company's commitment to advancing AI technology in China. Wu stated that AI is poised to enhance global productivity over the next three decades, aligning with the conference's focus on AI development, innovation, and governance [323cd412]. He noted that Alibaba has invested heavily in AI, achieving a remarkable 97% reduction in costs for its Tongyi Qianwen AI models over the past year. This has led to the development of over 78,000 derivative models based on Alibaba's Qwen family, which Wu compared to Meta's Llama models [323cd412].
The conference comes at a time when the US is pushing for an AI initiative reminiscent of the WWII Manhattan Project, aimed at consolidating its technological leadership and countering China's advancements in AI [b4e39501]. Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang echoed Xi's sentiments, advocating for global coordination in internet governance to ensure a balanced approach to technology development [b4e39501].
Xi's remarks resonate with his previous statements at the G20 summit, where he called for international collaboration on AI and criticized US trade policies that restrict access to technology [6bc78e83]. The ongoing rivalry has led to a bifurcated AI landscape, exemplified by OpenAI's decision to block Chinese developers from accessing its API, further illustrating the growing insularity in the tech sector [b4e39501].
Wu also highlighted that more than 50 Chinese universities are utilizing Alibaba's AI and cloud services for research, emphasizing the transformative impact of affordable computing power, which he likened to the historical significance of electricity [323cd412]. As the geopolitical landscape evolves, Xi's push for a unified approach to cyberspace governance, combined with Alibaba's advancements in AI, could significantly impact future international relations and technology policies [b4e39501].