Political advisor suggests strengthening ethical guardrails with good AI governance

National political advisor Wang Jing has called for enhanced ethical guidelines and sound governance systems to ensure the healthy development of China's artificial intelligence (AI) sector.

Wang Jing, a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), poses for a photo as she attends the fourth session of the 14th CPPCC National Committee in Beijing, March 5, 2026. [Photo/China.org.cn]

"AI, as the core engine of new quality productive forces, is undergoing a profound transition from a tool revolution to a cognitive revolution, becoming a key force driving the development of the digital economy and empowering comprehensive social progress," she said.

Wang Jing, a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and CEO of Newland Group, is in Beijing to attend the fourth session of the 14th CPPCC National Committee, which is being held from March 4 to 11.

Currently, AI research and industrial application are accelerating, but ethical governance lags behind innovation. Key issues include weak top-level design, poor integration of technology and ethics, and insufficient global collaboration. These gaps have led to risks such as data distortion, algorithmic discrimination and technology abuse.

She noted that the recent U.S. government action against Anthropic's Claude highlights the tension between AI ethics, technological application and power intervention.

"This case not only demonstrates the importance of enterprises upholding ethical boundaries in AI, but also sounds an ethical alarm for global AI development. If AI technology is divorced from ethical constraints and sound governance, it may either be misused and manipulated by power or capital, or see its application hindered by ethical disagreements, ultimately constraining the healthy and sustainable development of the AI industry," she said.

Wang suggested strengthening the top-level design of AI ethics. Guided by the national digital economy development strategy and global AI trends, and leveraging the new system for mobilizing resources nationwide, efforts should be made to pool the collaborative strengths of research institutions, universities and industry associations. This will accelerate the formulation of unified ethical standards covering the entire chain of AI research, development, design, application and iteration, while clarifying the ethical red lines and value boundaries for AI development.

She also called for deepening reforms in AI research evaluation, breaking the shackles of "technology-only, achievement-only" approaches. This incorporates ethical construction effectiveness and risk prevention capabilities into core assessment indicators for researchers and R&D institutions. This would further incentivize R&D entities to integrate ethical considerations from the very source.

The political advisor appealed for a sound AI ethical governance mechanism with multi-party collaboration among research institutions, tech enterprises, regulators and industry associations. She also called for cultivating AI ethics professionals and service institutions, and building a public platform for ethics review, risk assessment and technical consultation to complete the professional service chain for AI ethics governance.

Wang also called for efforts to promote the implementation of AI ethical practices. She urged the establishment of sound AI ethics review mechanisms, data management systems and algorithm supervision systems, regulating the entire process of data collection, storage, use and circulation, while strengthening oversight across the full chain of algorithm design, training and application. She also called for strict crackdowns on AI technology abuse, and the creation of fault-tolerance, correction and risk prevention mechanisms to reduce ethical, data and social risks in AI application at the institutional level.

"To build a strong ethical foundation through good AI governance, the core task is to integrate the concept of good governance throughout the entire process of AI technology research, application and industrial development, removing barriers to the integration of ethical norms and technological innovation," she said. "This will allow AI technology development and ethical construction to progress in tandem. The foundation lies in upholding the value of technology for good, and establishing an AI ethical governance system that fits China's national conditions and adapts to global development."