The following revised guidelines, issued by the PRC Ministry of Science and Technology in September 2020 on the basis of previous guidelines from August 2019, describe a process by which Chinese cities can apply to establish “national new generation AI innovation and development pilot zones.” These zones will be located in cities that already possess robust AI infrastructure such as top universities, national labs, and leading tech companies. The guidelines state that China will create roughly 20 AI pilot zones by 2023.

The Chinese source text is available online at: https://most.gov.cn/xxgk/xinxifenlei/fdzdgknr/fgzc/gfxwj/gfxwj2020/202012/t20201224_171987.html

An archived version of the Chinese source text is available online at:    https://perma.cc/K27Q-ZWHN

U.S. $1 ≈ 6.9 Chinese Yuan Renminbi (RMB), as of May 9, 2023.

Notice of the Ministry of Science and Technology on the Publication of the Guidelines for National New Generation Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Development Pilot Zone Construction Work (Revised Version)

To science and technology departments (committees and bureaus) in provinces, autonomous regions, and centrally administered municipalities, and to the planning units of the cities under them, and to the Science and Technology Bureau of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps:

In order to fully implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instructions and comments on artificial intelligence (AI), push national new generation artificial intelligence innovation and development pilot zones to focus on solving major problems in AI science and technology (S&T) and AI commercialization, to strengthen substantive development (内涵式发展), to build a sound ecosystem conducive to the development of AI, create new generation AI innovation development prototypes, [the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST)] has made revisions to the Guidelines for National New Generation Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Development Pilot Zone Construction Work. These revised guidelines are hereby issued. Please implement the relevant work in accordance with local conditions.

These guidelines are effective beginning from the date of issuance, and the original Guidelines for National New Generation Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Development Pilot Zone Construction Work¹ are nullified at the same time.

This notice is issued for this purpose.

MOST

September 29, 2020

(This document to be actively publicized)

Guidelines for National New Generation Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Development Pilot Zone Construction Work (Revised Version)

These guidelines are formulated to fully implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instructions and comments on AI, accelerate the implementation of the deployment requirements of the State Council Notice on the Issuance of the New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan (State Council Document [2017] No. 35), further clarify the overall requirements, key tasks, application conditions, construction procedures, and safeguard measures of the national new generation AI innovation and development pilot zones, and to orderly promote the construction of national new generation AI innovation and development pilot zones, and promote the construction of such pilot zones in an orderly manner.

I. Overall Requirements

(1) Construction Philosophy (建设思路)

National New Generation Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Development Pilot Zones (hereinafter referred to as Pilot Zones) are areas where AI technology demonstrations, policy tests, and social experiments are carried out to promote the development of AI innovation through new attempts and by playing a leading role. The construction of Pilot Zones takes as its primary focus the promotion of the in-depth integration of AI and economic and social development and takes as its orientation the solving of major problems in AI S&T and AI commercialization. In this process, we will develop innovative institutional mechanisms; deepen industry-academia-research institute-user (产学研用) integration; promote the gathering together of S&T, industry, and finance; build a sound ecosystem conducive to the development of AI; comprehensively improve AI innovation and capabilities; create a number of new generation AI innovation development prototypes; explore new paths for the construction of a smart society (智能社会); accumulate experience that can be replicated and scaled; lead the healthy development of AI nationwide; and support the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity.

(2) Construction Principles

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1. Translator’s note: CSET’s English translation of the original (August 29, 2019) Guidelines for National New Generation Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Development Pilot Zone Construction Work is available online at: https://cset.georgetown.edu/publication/guidelines-for-national-new-generation-artificial-intelligence-innovation-and-development-pilot-zone-construction-work/.