Forum hears of AI risks and benefits

Artificial intelligence is a “new type of infrastructure” to fuel economic growth but needs improvement in international cooperation and regulations, speakers told a forum at the China International Import Expo on Tuesday. 

Participants at the "Artificial Intelligence and Innovative Development: Ideas, Technology and Markets" forum included business leaders from Tesla, Lego, AstraZeneca and iFlytek. .

AI has become a ”new type of infrastructure,” with booming data and faster networks such as 4G and 5G, said Li Doukui, chief economist at the New Development Bank, 

Tesla, which is building one of its biggest factories in Shanghai, regards AI as accelerating world development in automotive, energy and other sectors. It will change people’s habits in driving and communicating, said Robyn Denholm, the company's chairman.

AI is an "key mover" in society, especially in banking, smart manufacturing, retail and other industries, said Yin Qi, CEO of Chinese technology company Megvii. In near future, the company would be focusing on how to combine AI with the off-line and physical world, Yin said. 

Speakers, however, warned risks and challenges of AI development with regard to ethics and regulations. 

The relationship between robots and jobs, along with privacy protection and data leakage, are risks of AI, said speakers who included Christopher Pissarides, Nobel laureate and professor at the London School of Economics. 

In the long term, AI development and regulation improvement depended on international cooperation, “whether it’s in US, China or Africa,” Li said.