UN officials visit Fudan University to promote AI cooperation

Two high-level delegations from the United Nations visited Shanghai's Fudan University to discuss the latest advancements in artificial intelligence and deepening cooperation between the UN and the school on Sunday, one day after the official launch of the Center for Global AI Innovation Governance at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference held in Shanghai.

The delegations were led by Amandeep Singh Gill, United Nations undersecretary-general and special envoy for digital and emerging technologies, and Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, UN undersecretary-general and executive secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), respectively.

When meeting Gill, Jin Li, president of Fudan University and an academician with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said Fudan and the UN share the common conviction that AI development should not only strive for technological excellence, but also uphold ethical goals and benefit a wide range of people.

"Looking ahead, Fudan University pledges to continue promoting AI education, deepening the application of AI for science in research areas like materials science, life science, and earth science, which are closely related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)," Jin said.

Gill said he viewed this visit as a starting point for future collaboration, and expressed his expectation for Fudan's experience in AI innovation governance to further support global AI capacity building.

In a separate meeting, Chen Zhimin, vice-president of Fudan University, discussed the school's progress in AI education, research, and technology transfer with Alisjahbana and her team. He also elaborated on the concept of the center to bridge the AI gap and provide public products, showcasing the preliminary results of the center's establishment.

Alisjahbana expressed her anticipation for the center to make new contributions to promoting the combination of industry, academia, and research in global AI innovation governance.

Established by Fudan University, the Center for Global AI Innovation Governance aims to draw on China's practices, global wisdom, capacity building, and governance coordination to provide rich international public products for countries worldwide, including those in the Global South.

Leveraging its strengths in AI global governance, interdisciplinary research, and international cooperation networks, Fudan University said it will be committed to building a platform linking China and the world for global AI governance and industry-academia collaboration, while contributing to global AI capacity building under the UN framework.

Cui Chuandong contributed to this story.