China Signals Plans for Broad AI Safety Guardrails

China’s top economic planner said on Tuesday that the country will closely monitor the impact of AI on employment, as Beijing moves to establish safety standards and ethical guidelines covering “the whole life cycle of AI.”

Wang Ruomeng, a senior official with the National Development and Reform Commission, told reporters at a press conference that the agency will pay close attention to how AI changes the existing employment structure, while simultaneously looking to leverage AI’s potential to create new jobs.

The comments reflect Beijing’s ongoing effort to balance rapid AI adoption with robust social safeguards. The commission emphasized that China will integrate safety into all aspects of AI research and development as well as AI deployment and governance.

The commission said China will actively respond to the impact of AI on society. To address issues such as algorithmic discrimination, deepfakes and privacy violations, the country will take steps to enhance the traceability of the sources of abuse and malicious acts, it said. The country will “resolutely crack down” on illegal acts committed by AI, and accelerate a comprehensive legislation for AI, it added.