The Chinese government has warned that the “uncontrolled development” of artificial intelligence in the United States could lead to grave repercussions and prove catastrophic for the world.
Chinese Ambassador to Russia, Zhang Hanhu, accused American companies of prioritising monetary interests over user safety, citing cases in which teenagers had taken their own lives.
“There (in the United States), the development of artificial intelligence is largely determined by profit-driven interests,” Zhang told TASS News Agency.
The envoy stated that, in a bid to maintain global dominance, the U.S. authorities have allowed AI development and companies to operate unchecked, thereby risking “tragic consequences.”
Since 2024, according to Zhang, there have been “more cases of AI chatbots developed by US companies encouraging teenagers to commit suicide.”
The diplomat recalled the 1 January 2025 explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck that occurred outside the main entrance of the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas in Paradise, Nevada.
Ambassador Zhang said the world was shocked by the incident, which he described as “the first-ever [attack] planned using ChatGPT.”
Such an event, he contended, signalled that “the uncontrolled development of technology can turn into a disaster for human civilisation.”
On China's efforts, Zhang referenced the policy on AI development and regulation implemented in March 2024, titled the “Basic Safety Requirements for Generative Artificial Intelligence Services.”
China also established a tiered and category-based system of management for AI and released the AI Safety Governance Framework document in September 2024.
