Moving from AI race to AI governance

Editor's Note: During the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on July 17, the China University of Political Science and Law and UNESCO jointly hosted the Global AI Policy Dialogue and Collaboration Development Forum. The event was attended by representatives of international organizations, government officials, academics and business leaders from around the world. Below are excerpts of speeches delivered by four of the participants, as reported by Li Wei of China Daily.

Competition alone won't secure the future of AI

During a visit to China last year, I was struck by a manuscript from Alex Karp, CEO of Palantir. He argued that the United States has squandered a generation of engineering talent on trivial pursuits like optimizing online advertising and maximizing engagement instead of tackling the world's hardest problems.

But Karp's solution to that misplaced talent is military competition. His "enemy" is not hunger, disease, climate change, or the existential risks posed by artificial intelligence. It is geopolitical rivalry, especially with China. It reflects the mindset of far too many in the US, but I do not share it.

My first trip to China was in 1989. Back then, parts of the country reminded me of the US in the 1950s. But my subsequent visits to the country changed that impression.

Traveling across China last year, I felt that I was witnessing what the US might look like in 2150. China has achieved remarkable progress, just as the US has its strengths. Both countries have much to learn from each other.

That spirit of mutual learning matters because AI presents humanity with both extraordinary promise and unprecedented danger.

It can accelerate scientific discovery, improve healthcare, strengthen economic development, and tackle global challenges. At the same time, powerful technologies can also be used for destructive purposes.

The uncomfortable truth is that we do not know how to control advanced AI.

We cannot ensure that future systems will remain aligned with human interests, yet we are racing to build them anyway. We are creating what may become the most consequential technology since the atomic bomb without fully understanding how to govern it.

That is why forums like the World AI Conference matter. At a time when competition often overwhelms reason, we need more dialogue, deeper understanding, and broader consensus.

China's embrace of open-source AI is an important contribution to that effort.

Open models allow researchers and developers far beyond a handful of US technology companies to participate in AI innovation.

They democratize access to knowledge, expand scientific collaboration, and help ensure that AI's future is not dictated by a small group of firms or a single country.

But open access alone is not enough. AI's risks are global, and so must be its governance.

Humanity has cooperated to confront shared threats before in areas ranging from arms control to global security. AI poses a challenge unlike any we have faced, and no nation yet has all the answers.

But we do know one thing: scientists, policymakers, and governments must work together rather than retreat behind geopolitical rivalry.

The future of AI should not be decided by fear or competition alone. It should be shaped by cooperation, shared responsibility, and a commitment to ensuring that this transformative technology serves all of humanity — not just the powerful.