China called for further strengthening of international cooperation in artificial intelligence capacity building on Tuesday at the United Nations, as rapid advances in AI expose global capability gaps.

Speaking at a meeting on "AI Empowering Engineering Capacity-Building" at the UN headquarters in New York, Chen Jiachang, China's vice-minister of science and technology, said that China is promoting global AI governance within the UN framework and advancing international cooperation through initiatives such as an AI capacity-building resolution adopted by consensus at the UN General Assembly.

He said that China is pursuing an open-source, innovation-driven approach to AI and aims to foster a more inclusive global innovation ecosystem. Chen noted that China has become the leading source of AI patents worldwide, contributing about 60 percent of the total. He added that industry-led open-source AI communities in China have developed more than 170,000 multimodal models and now support over 20 million developers worldwide.

The meeting, convened by the Group of Friends for International Cooperation on AI Capacity-Building and cochaired by China and Zambia, focused on practical cooperation to support developing countries in strengthening AI capabilities.

Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the UN and the meeting's chair, said that global AI governance must keep pace with technological change and ensure that the technology's benefits are widely shared.

"It is essential that all countries, especially those from the Global South, can effectively participate in global governance, and that AI does not become the preserve of rich countries or wealthy elites," Fu said.

Over the past two years, the group has held four open meetings and three workshops in China, bringing together nearly 200 representatives from member states. Fu said that new initiatives are planned in cooperation with the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, including regional workshops in Africa and the Asia-Pacific.

According to a report published last month by the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, leading AI systems developed in China and the United States have "effectively closed the performance gap", even as access to computing power, data and talent remains highly concentrated and unevenly distributed.

Unequal access

Participants at Tuesday's event from developing countries also expressed concerns that unequal access to infrastructure and expertise could deepen existing divides.

Chola Milambo, Zambia's permanent representative to the UN, said that gaps in computing power, data and financing could widen the disparities between developed and developing economies.

"For Zambia and for many of our partners across Africa and the wider Global South, the question is no longer whether to engage with AI, but how to ensure that our engagement is inclusive, equitable and firmly anchored in our own development priorities," said Milambo.

He added that capacity building is not a transfer, but a partnership, calling for development approaches that align with national priorities.

Participants said that strengthening cooperation on open technologies, talent development and infrastructure will be key to ensuring that AI contributes to inclusive and sustainable development, particularly in the Global South.

minluzhang@chinadailyusa.com