Cooperation on AI hailed at WAIC

Efforts should be made to enhance cooperation in the field of fast-evolving artificial intelligence to bolster global technological advancements, while open-source models have injected new vitality into AI innovation worldwide, said renowned business leaders.

Harry Shum, former executive vice-president of Microsoft, had a "fireside chat" with Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO, at the opening ceremony of the 2025 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai, which was concluded on Monday.

This conversation focused on global competition and cooperation in the AI era, reflecting the two technology leaders' personal experiences and understandings about technological changes over the decades.

As the former leaders of two tech heavyweights, Schmidt and Shum are not only important promoters of technological innovation, but also witnesses to global business competition. From the PC era to the internet, from cloud computing to AI, they have always been at the forefront of technological waves.

The conversation pointed out that in the stage of rapid AI development without clear rules, the key is who will set, and by what means it will be set, the boundaries of AI technology. And this process must be completed through transnational cooperation with a clear consensus on values.

Schmidt said during his time at Google, there was fierce competition among Microsoft, Apple and Google, but this competition promoted the overall progress of the industry.

He quoted former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger when explaining his views on AI cooperation between China and the US, saying that "as long as both sides have common goals, they can reach an agreement".

Schmidt cited an example that the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the US started from scratch, and as long as there is a consensus, trust can be established, believing that the current issues about AI can be handled in a similar way.

He said some key issues must be discussed. "We should sit down and clarify them, such as whether AI can control weapons, replicate itself and learn automatically."

Schmidt also hailed China's remarkable achievements in AI over the past two years, adding that China and the US should cooperate to jointly maintain world stability and ensure that humanity can control these AI tools.

AI is regarded as an epoch-making technology not only because it has demonstrated extraordinary potential in terms of understanding, generation and reasoning, but also because it has begun to have an impact on social governance, ethical order and the global landscape. The development of this technology has far exceeded the scope of engineering or business.

When discussing AI governance, they brought about firsthand experiences from technology and enterprise management, while incorporating their thoughts in fields like governance, philosophy and international relations.

Schmidt believes that the core issue regarding AI governance is the value, saying that China and the US have already had some communication mechanisms, but the current problem is that there is no way to make AI follow the rules completely.

He noted that most of the leading AI models in China are open-source, which is significantly different from those in the US.

During his tenure as the CEO of Google, Schmidt led and promoted the open-source strategy of the Android system. He believes that the open-source approach allows more people to participate, which is beneficial to technological advancements.

However, it also brings about clear risks, as once it is open-source, anyone can use it. Moreover, the security restrictions of open-source models can be removed, while closed-source models are usually managed by companies and are relatively more controllable, he added.

At the 2021 WAIC, Kissinger expressed his deep concern about AI development in an interview with Shum, and emphasized that human destiny and dignity must take a core position in technological evolution. He called on the world to find a balance between excitement and vigilance, and make AI truly become a tool serving humanity.

fanfeifei@chinadaily.com.cn