China’s top court says it treats AI cases with care without stifling growth or innovation

Supreme People’s Procuratorate said 4,739 individuals prosecuted last year in cases related to ‘data security breaches’3-MIN READ3-MIN ListenPublished: 7:12pm, 9 Mar 2026China’s highest court says that while it handles AI-related cases with care it has allowed room for the country’s Artificial Intelligence industry to innovate and make mistakes, according to its annual report.President of China’s supreme court, Zhang Jun, stated in Monday’s work report to the National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s top legislative body, that the Supreme People’s Court had “promoted the orderly development of Artificial Intelligence” last year.China’s courts “properly adjudicated cases involving Artificial Intelligence” and “accurately grasped the ‘margin for error’ in technological innovation”, according to the report. China turns to AI to ease overstretched healthcare systemChina turns to AI to ease overstretched healthcare systemIt cited an unspecified case in which a court had ruled that an error in a generative AI service did not constitute infringement because “the developer had exercised due diligence and caused no actual harm to the plaintiff’s rights”.However, the Supreme People’s Court report emphasised that it would apply “resolute legal regulation” to “acts exploiting Artificial Intelligence to infringe upon others’ lawful rights and interests or disrupt social order, thereby promoting technology for good”.The report said that looking ahead, Chinese courts would “promote the orderly development of the digital economy, AI Plus and other sectors”.In a separate report presented to the NPC, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate said China prosecuted 4,739 individuals last year in cases related to “data security breaches in fields such as Artificial Intelligence and e-commerce”.The NPC Standing Committee, in its work report released the same day, said the legislature would “strengthen legislative research” in fields including AI.