Published: July 26, 2025
Artificial intelligence already powers our search engines, recommends our next binge, and increasingly, makes decisions most people never see.
But who governs AI? This week, China proposed a bold answer: a new global cooperation body to establish shared rules for AI development and usage [source].
Global Governance: A Power Play?
China’s plan aims to expand its influence in how AI is regulated globally. While the U.S. and EU have released their own AI safety frameworks, Beijing’s approach is international in scope, suggesting the creation of an intergovernmental organization similar to the UN or WTO—but focused entirely on artificial intelligence.
Critics argue this move is less about cooperation and more about control. But supporters say having a global forum could set consistent standards for safety, ethics, and transparency—something sorely needed as high-stakes AI systems become harder to regulate within borders.
What’s at Stake?
If successful, this effort could determine who sets global AI norms—shaping how autonomous weapons are developed, how personal data is processed, and how AI is deployed in emerging economies.
China’s ongoing investments in surveillance AI and facial recognition raise valid concerns among Western policymakers, but with fragmented regulation worldwide, there’s a vacuum of leadership—and China is filling it.
The Bigger Picture
This proposal isn’t just policy—it’s geopolitics. Much like the race for nuclear arms or control of the internet, AI regulation may become the next battleground of global influence.
As China pitches this global AI governance framework, the U.S. and its allies must decide whether to participate, compete, or propose an alternative vision altogether.
One thing is clear: whoever shapes the rules of AI today will control large parts of our digital future. This isn’t a hypothetical. It’s happening now, in real-time.
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