CHINA will soon publish a guideline and detailed regulations on artificial intelligence (AI) development to make breakthroughs in critical technologies, Minister of Science and Technology Wan Gang said Saturday.

China is speeding up research in the new generation of AI, Wan told a press conference on the sidelines of the annual session of the National People’s Congress.

“We will promote AI application to address problems in security, health, environmental protection and so on,” he said, adding the ministry will help domestic AI companies and research institutions find international cooperation.

“The key for utilizing AI in various fields is to have solid research in its core technologies and basic research, and make it open source so innovators, entrepreneurs and other people across all facets of society can add or benefit from the technology, ” said Wan.

China is also working on laws and regulations to tackle issues related to social ethics, job structure, personal privacy and national security, which may be brought about by AI development, he said.

Last July, the State Council, China’s Cabinet, issued a plan on new-generation AI. The plan said the AI industry should be a major new growth engine and have improved people’s lives by 2020, and set the target of China becoming a major center for AI innovation and leading the world in AI by 2030.

(Xinhua)