China and the discourse on artificial intelligence (AI) ethics and governance

In 2016, AI became part of China's national technology development program to boost AI research and development and enter formally the race to become a leading AI nation. That China has made tremendous progress highlights a report published by Tsinghua University. According to the report, "China leads the world in AI papers, has become the largest owner of AI patents, has the world's second largest AI talent pool, and the highest venture investment in AI." China is running a neck-and-neck race with the United States, followed by countries like Japan and South Korea. Since 2018, however, a debate has also been underway in China about ethical and regulatory questions concerning the use of AI.