Illustration: Liu Xidan/GT

From Tuesday to Friday, the 2024 World Internet Conference (WIC) Wuzhen Summit is taking place in Wuzhen, East China's Zhejiang Province. This year marks the 11th anniversary of the summit, officially opening a new chapter in its second decade. Artificial intelligence (AI), a key area in global technological advancement for the next decade, has taken center stage at this year's summit, themed "Embracing a People-centered and AI-for-good Digital Future - Building a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace." 

Over the past decade, the WIC Wuzhen Summit has witnessed the rapid development of China's internet sector, including its AI industry. This year's summit responds to concerns about governance in the sphere of AI, as the rapid evolution of AI technologies is transforming human society while posing unprecedented challenges to traditional governance models.

"Power politics, hegemonism, and Cold War mentality penetrating cyberspace are among the greatest challenges we face today," said Shen Yi, director of the Research Institution for Global Cyberspace Governance at Fudan University. As a frontier of technological development, AI has become an extension and projection of the unjust international order. Economically, AI serves as an "accelerator" of the digital economy; however, if misused, it could exacerbate wealth disparities and deepen the digital divide. This threatens global economic fairness and makes it even harder for many Global South countries to achieve their sustainable development goals.  

A robust international cooperation framework for AI governance is urgently needed. China's principles of "people-centered" and "AI-for-good" should serve as the cornerstones for building a sound global AI ecosystem; otherwise, AI risks becoming "a game of the rich countries and the wealthy." Against this backdrop, China's vision of building a community with a shared future in cyberspace, along with its AI governance principles, offers new pathways for cooperation and development for the Global South. The initiative seeks to break monopolies in AI technology and prevent data exploitation while promoting balanced access to AI for all countries, respecting equality in cyberspace sovereignty. The embodiment of Chinese wisdom and the core of China's widely welcomed concepts lie in replacing cyber hegemony with a community with a shared future in cyberspace, reshaping the cyber realm with principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, while addressing challenges in security, development and cultural exchange through effective cyberspace governance.

"China's vision is welcomed because it represents the common interests and shared needs of the majority of countries around the world. Developing countries are not willing to accept the hierarchical treatment in the field of cyberspace by developed countries. China's solutions to cyberspace governance are truly based on mutually beneficial, equal, and sustainable cooperation," Shen said.  

The world currently needs responsible and visionary leaders in cyberspace. With a vast network serving nearly 1.1 billion netizens today, China has not only achieved leapfrog development but has also actively participated in global internet governance. By establishing high-level platforms for international exchange and cooperation in cyberspace, China accelerates the construction of a community with a shared future in cyberspace.  

The annual WIC Wuzhen Summit has allowed the world to witness the proposal, deepening, and implementation of the community with a shared future in cyberspace. A series of outcomes originating from the WIC Wuzhen Summit have gained widespread recognition. The goal is to gather global wisdom and work together to help all countries fast-track their cyberspace and digital economy development, achieving mutual cooperation and win-win outcomes.

The past decade of the WIC Wuzhen Summit has been a period of China contributing to internet governance, offering Chinese wisdom, and fulfilling its responsibilities as a major power. In the next decade, China is expected to amplify its voice, build global consensus, and further the benefits of cyberspace for people worldwide, continuing to play a greater role in the development of a community with a shared future in cyberspace.