As AI cyber risks grow, Chinese chip expert urges shared ethics standards with US rivals

Chen Yunji, co-founder of Chinese chip giant Cambricon, has called for a universal "ethics checker" to be applied to leading AI models. This proposal, made at a Shanghai event, highlights concerns about the rapid advancement of AI capabilities and their potential for misuse, specifically citing systems from Chinese firms DeepSeek and ByteDance, alongside US-based OpenAI.

The core function of this proposed checker is to act as a shared safeguard, ensuring that these advanced AI systems meet common ethical requirements. This initiative is positioned as a response to a recent increase in cyberattacks, which Chen noted have leveraged AI to threaten critical infrastructure and breach government servers, underscoring the growing risks associated with unchecked AI development.

By advocating for a universal standard, Chen's proposal suggests a need for collaborative oversight across national and corporate boundaries, particularly between US and Chinese developers. While the specific criteria or technical implementation of such an "ethics checker" are not detailed, the call itself points to a growing recognition within the industry that the pace of AI innovation requires corresponding mechanisms to manage its societal impact and security implications.