Why does Beijing suddenly care about AI ethics?

Despite the ongoing trade war between the two countries, some Western experts have been trying to build bridges. This week, the World Economic Forum announced its own AI principles, developed in collaboration with academics, business leaders, and policymakers from the US, China, and other countries. One of the co-chairs of the WEF's new AI council is Kai-Fu Lee, a prominent AI investor based in Beijing, who previously helped establish both Microsoft's and Google's outposts in China. Lee says the WEF group discussed the fact that the Chinese principles seem very similar to those developed by Western countries and companies. "This makes us quite optimistic," he says.