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Researchers from Switzerland explore Artificial Intelligence, Ethics and Governance in China
From September 5 to 9, 2024, Swissnex in China initiated and curated the Tech & Ethics program for Swiss researchers working at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI), governance, and ethics to understand trends and discourses related to AI in China. The initiative sparked passionate debates between Swiss and Chinese researchers on the responsible development of AI and the ethical dilemmas of our digital era.
16.01.2025
The role of technology in society is viewed differently across the world. China is particularly strong and developed in applied AI, for example in the field of transportation, consumer technology, and healthtech.
The team at Swissnex in China found that providing an interdisciplinary group of Swiss researchers with firsthand insights into how Chinese researchers, companies, and the broader population navigate the risks and opportunities of Artificial Intelligence is essential. This understanding is fundamentally important to strengthen Switzerland’s contextual knowledge on education, research and innovation (ERI) collaboration with China.
AI Adoption
Both countries have different adoption processes, Patrick Tinguely, a participant from the Strategy and Artificial Intelligence Lab at ETH Zurich, observed that “in China, convenience often takes precedence over data privacy, a contrast to the more privacy-conscious approach in Switzerland. For instance, leveraging AI and computer vision to flag e-bike riders without helmets and passing this information to law enforcement in the street is a practice that would likely be unacceptable in Switzerland. Another key difference is the aggregation of sensitive health data for medical research, which seems more feasible in China, while privacy and security concerns in Switzerland make such practices more difficult.”
“In China , convenience often takes precedence over data privacy, a contrast to the more privacy-conscious approach in Switzerland.”
However, there were still many commonalities in the challenges faced with AI use. These include, for example, data biases, safety, diversity, and inclusivity.
Ethical Standards
A key focus of the program was defining AI’s ethical dimensions and understanding how different societies approach the technology. Yishu Mao, a participant from the University of Zurich, noted that “equality means different things to different people. Normative ethics and descriptive ethics seemed to be mixed up in the discussions.”
The discussions led to some interesting questions that leaned into philosophical aspects of society and, among other things, the mere definition of ethics and AI. “The debates were lively, revealing that disagreements about AI research and ethics are not just East vs. West – they cut across sectors, generations, and socio-technical boundaries” says Yash Raj Shrestha, a participant from the Applied AI Lab at the University of Lausanne.
“The debates were lively, revealing that disagreements about AI research and ethics are not just East vs. West”
Artificial Intelligence has undeniably become more than a technical tool; it has become a system deeply embedded into our society and everyday lives. Participants emphasized the need for a holistic approach to AI governance, where social, ethical, and cultural contexts are taken into consideration to ensure ethical outcomes and trust in AI systems.
Responsible AI Development and Research Integrity
During the workshop, which focused specifically on research integrity and the use of AI in research publications, experts from both countries highlighted the importance of global cooperation in maintaining ethical standards in research. A key takeaway was that while Artificial Intelligence can improve research processes, human oversight remains essential for ensuring accuracy and preventing errors. The need for ongoing training and clear guidelines is important to keep high standards especially regarding the handling of sensitive data and intellectual property.
Addressing challenges through dialogue
Although there may be disagreements – especially on how to balance privacy and security – such discussions are a key factor in ensuring that AI governance stays relevant with technological advancements. The collaboration between Switzerland and China illustrates how creating opportunities for dialogue can help address common challenges and work towards creating broader rules that focus on ethics, transparency, and fairness.
Tech&Ethics program 2024
The participants visited Beijing and Shanghai, where they engaged in discussions with local researchers from Peking University, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Fudan University as well as representatives of some of the major tech companies including Alibaba, Baidu and DiDi. They participated in the second Sino-Swiss Research Integrity Workshop organized by Swissnex in China, Frontiers, and CASLibrary, which focused on responsible research and innovation. The participants also attended a session at the Pujiang Innovation Forum, one of the most important innovation forums in China.
Contact
Camille Burki, Swissnex in China
Head of Communications
camille.burki@swissnex.org
Author
Camille Burki
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