context: Standards are becoming a geopolitical battleground, as Beijing believes Chinese standards for 5G and other emerging technologies pave the way for tech leadership. China is already involved in global AI standard-setting, as SAMR prepares a comprehensive national standardisation strategy towards 2035.
Twenty key AI tech and ethics standards are to be devised by 2021, according to Guidelines on AI standards development from NDRC (National Development Reform Commission), MIIT (Ministry of Industry and IT), CAC (Cyberspace Administration) and two other agencies. Standards of key domains and industries should be in place by 2023. Major components of the standards include
- safety and ethics
- safety
- privacy protection
- ethics
- foundation
- basic technology, products and platforms (CP note: all prominent AI development platforms are foreign)
- common and applied technologies
- products and services
- industry applications, including manufacturing, healthcare, governance services, public security and courts
An AI subcommittee was set up by TC260 (National Information Security Standardisation Technical Committee), reported Scitech Daily, at a 6 August conference jointly hosted by MIIT's CESI (China Electronics Standardisation Institute), Tencent Youtu and iFlytek. The subcommittee will, following the Guidelines, devise key standards, conduct new infrastructure-related research and strengthen international collaboration.
There is an urgent need for AI standards, says Guo Huanxin 国焕新 SAMR (State Administration for Market Regulation) standards management official, who points that SAMR already
- set up national AI standardisation committee and expert consultation group (CP note: in January 2018)
- facilitated standard-setting for key tech foundations
Under SAMR and MIIT guidance, TC260 already developed several standards, notes Zhao Bo 赵波 CESI director, and submitted proposals to international bodies.
The subcommittee consists of 48 expert members and 173 institutional members
- chairperson
- Lin Ning 林宁 former CESI Party secretary
- vice-chairpersons
- Tao Jianhua 陶建华 CAS (Chinese Academy of Sciences) Institute of Automation researcher
- Huang Tiejun 黄铁军 Peking University professor
- Wu Fei 吴飞 Zhejiang University professor