AI cooperation helps narrow tech divisions

President Xi Jinping's call for stronger artificial intelligence cooperation among BRICS countries will help developing economies narrow their technological gaps and contribute to inclusive global AI governance, according to experts.

"President Xi's proposal is timely because open-source (AI) technologies have long been central to the development of the digital economy," said Mohd Faiz Abdullah, executive chairman of the Institute of Strategic and International Studies Malaysia, a leading think tank based in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia.

A BRICS AI community could widen access to the technology across economies at different development stages while expanding technological choice, Mohd Faiz told China Daily.

During the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, India, held from Sept 12-13, Xi said that BRICS should pioneer innovation-driven development, calling on member countries to strengthen AI cooperation.

He proposed several AI cooperation measures among BRICS members, including the BRICS initiative of AI-empowered new industrialization and an open-source, inclusive AI initiative.

Mohd Faiz said an effective BRICS initiative would need credible arrangements for testing, verification, cybersecurity, updates, and sustained technical support.

Mohd Faiz also emphasized the risk of longer-term dependency, pointing out that software openness does not guarantee autonomy across the wider technology ecosystem.

"The most constructive approach is therefore to pair open-source access with the development of domestic capabilities," Mohd Faiz said, noting collaborative testing, coding programs, research exchanges, and skills development could help local innovators.

Regarding the proposed BRICS initiative of AI-empowered new industrialization and China's plan to deepen cooperation in research and development, application, and industrial and supply chains, Klaus Heinrich Raditio, a lecturer in international relations at the Driyarkara School of Philosophy in Jakarta, told China Daily that it will benefit developing countries.

Addressing challenges

"If materialized, Xi's proposal could help many developing countries address their supply chain challenges," said Raditio.

This is because many BRICS developing countries lack access to sophisticated technology tightly controlled by developed ones for political and other reasons, and they are vulnerable to disruption and politicization of choke points, as seen in the case of the Strait of Hormuz during the United States-Israel war against Iran, he said.

For Indonesia, the world's largest archipelagic country comprising over 17,000 islands, Raditio said AI-based technologies in meteorology and seismology could help forecast and prepare for natural disasters, with China already assisting in this field.

The initiative proposed by China can also enhance cooperation among academics, businesses, and government while encouraging the sharing of knowledge and resources, Lakhvinder Singh, director of peace and security studies at Asia Institute in Seoul, South Korea, told China Daily.

"By promoting open-source models, joint research, technological exchange, training, and shared applications, BRICS countries can reduce barriers to accessing advanced AI technologies and develop solutions suited to their own economic and social needs," Singh said, noting the importance of inclusive, accessible AI cooperation for developing countries.

Singh said India and China have huge potential to contribute to AI innovation within BRICS and the developing world, but they need to focus more on cooperation in digital infrastructure, skills development, open-source technologies, joint research, and AI applications.

Beyond BRICS, Mohd Faiz said Asia encompasses both highly advanced digital economies and many developing ones that face digitalization constraints.

Cooperation that expands access to technology, knowledge, and skills could help narrow these gaps and enable more countries to participate meaningfully in the AI economy, he said.

kelly@chinadailyapac.com