China Also Issues Government-Level Warning About AI's 'Out-of-Control' Risks... Catch-Up With the U.S. Accelerates

[Financial News] While the extinction of humanity has become a hot topic in the U.S. artificial intelligence (AI) industry, it has been confirmed that government-level warnings about the risk of AI becoming uncontrollable have also continued in China.
However, while acknowledging the risks of AI, China is focusing on narrowing the technology gap with the United States, saying that the risks remain manageable for now.


According to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and other sources on the 15th, China began officially raising concerns about AI risks at the national level in September 2024. At the time, the China National Technical Committee for Internet Security Standardization released the 'AI Safety Governance Framework 1.0,' raising the possibility that humans could lose control over AI. In particular, it has been updating and releasing new guidelines annually based on the evolution of AI.
The version released last year (2.0) made the risk scenarios more specific.
It assumed that AI could develop to unexpected levels as its intelligence improves dramatically—for example, by acquiring resources, self-replicating, or pursuing power. It issued a more explicit warning that AI could escape human control. Accordingly, Framework 2.0 also added the governance principles of 'trusted use of AI' and 'preventing the loss of control over AI.'
The 2026 version (3.0), announced on the 14th, further pointed out that AI's ability to perform tasks on behalf of humans, interact with the physical world, and engage in deception is steadily increasing. It placed greater emphasis on the concern that AI could act in ways that deviate from human intentions.
These guidelines from the Chinese government are leading to a response at the national security level.
Chen Yixin, Minister of China's Ministry of State Security, recently said, "AI has already become a major battleground in global scientific and technological competition and a new arena for strategic games among major powers," adding, "We must accelerate the establishment of a system to prevent AI security risks." He emphasized, "We must fully understand the risks and challenges arising from AI's development," and said, "AI is penetrating every sector of human society at an unprecedented speed, scale, and depth."
Although Chen Yixin did not mention a specific country, his remarks are interpreted as largely targeting the United States.


This is consistent with the concerns about losing control that have recently spread through the U.S. AI industry, led by figures such as Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic. In particular, it shows that Chinese authorities are approaching AI risks as a national security issue.
Earlier, at the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) held last July, President Xi Jinping urged that "AI must always remain under human control" and that "we must jointly oppose excessively expanding the concept of national security in the field of AI security and prioritizing one country's security over another country's security."
China has recognized these risks from an early stage, but argues that it must first close the gap with the United States.
The WSJ summarized the Chinese industry's attitude toward the emerging risks of AI as "a concern for developed countries."
Above all else, China's government agencies and AI research institutes prioritize technological development.
Major AI companies, including DeepSeek and Zhipu (Z.ai), are accelerating the development of artificial general intelligence (AGI), which aims to enable AI to think like humans.
Some analysts also say that a culture of assessing and reflecting on the social impact of technological development is less established in China.

[email protected] Lee Seok-woo, International Specialist Reporter