AI in spotlight at China's ＂two sessions＂

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By Xinhua writers Yao Yuan, Zhao Chenjie and Huang Zechen (Xinhua) 09:34, March 09, 2025

A person uses DeepSeek app on a mobile phone on Feb. 17, 2025. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

* DeepSeek and AI have become buzzwords at this year's "two sessions," a key political event that decides on China's development agenda.

* The government work report, which charts China's course for this year and beyond, pledges support for the industry of embodied AI and also the extensive application of large-scale AI models.

* National lawmakers and political advisors gathering in Beijing have called for establishing regulations to boost the AI industry and prevent misuse of the technology.

BEIJING, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Riding on the global fanfare over Chinese tech startup DeepSeek, artificial intelligence (AI) has unsurprisingly become a buzzword at China's ongoing "two sessions," as observers eagerly watch how it will fit into the nation's rejuvenation drive.

DeepSeek and AI have been frequent mentions in discussions and at press conferences of the annual sessions of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's national legislature, and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the top political advisory body.

"In recent days, if people fail to mention DeepSeek, they will seem not to catch up with the trend," Wu Qing, chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, said at a press conference on the sidelines of the "two sessions," noting DeepSeek's contribution to the recent re-evaluation of Chinese assets.

According to the government work report submitted to the national legislature session for deliberation, China will foster the growth of industries including embodied AI, and support the extensive application of large-scale AI models.

It is the first time that "embodied AI," or AI with a physical form such as a robot, and "large-scale AI models," represented by DeepSeek, have made it into the annual report.

Students have an artificial intelligence lesson at a middle school in Liuzhou, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 2, 2024. (Photo by Li Hanchi/Xinhua)

BRIDGING TECH DIVIDE

The "two sessions" are a key political event that decides on China's development agenda including growth targets, passes laws, and discusses matters of great public interest, among other functions. This year, in response to the growing attention to DeepSeek, lawmakers and political advisors are exploring ways to harness the increasingly popular AI technology.

Liu Shangxi, a national political advisor, told media that DeepSeek and its open-source AI model are essentially about democratizing access to advanced technology.

"High costs and huge investments used to limit AI accessibility," said the former president of the Chinese Academy of Fiscal Science. "Now, AI technology can be accessed by the general public."

Referring to the China-proposed Global AI Governance Initiative, Lou Qinjian, spokesperson for the third session of the 14th NPC, said that it will help bridge the technological divide and prevent sci-tech innovation from becoming "a game of the rich countries and the wealthy."

China's ongoing tech boom has integrated AI across industry, education, health care, governance and social life. AI's significance is further underscored by the fact that it is recognized as new quality productive forces.

Zhu Songchun, a national political advisor and director of the Beijing Institute for General Artificial Intelligence, plans to submit a proposal on supporting emerging AI specialists to meet the industry's growing demands.

"Universities have rushed to establish AI institutes, but encountered difficulties in recruiting deans, as well as qualified and sufficient faculty," Zhu said.

Lou Qinjian, spokesperson for the third session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), attends a press conference at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 4, 2025. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)

REGULATIONS CALLED FOR

Discussions at the "two sessions" have also focused on the misuse of AI, with calls for improved regulations on the sector.

Last year, AI hit national news headlines after swindlers used AI-generated images of actor Jin Dong to defraud members of his fan base.

Jin, also a national political advisor, denounced such "heinous acts and crimes" during the ongoing CPPCC session. He called for the establishment of industry regulations for AI applications.

Lei Jun, an NPC deputy and founder of tech giant Xiaomi, this year presented a suggestion on curbing the abuse of AI-powered face swapping and voice cloning technology.