What do China’s plans for ‘comprehensive’ new AI law mean for future of technology?

data-entity-id="237" data-entity-type="location">China has confirmed for the first time that it is drawing up a “comprehensive law” on data-entity-id="804" data-entity-type="topic">Artificial Intelligence.Industry insiders said the move showed data-entity-id="237" data-entity-type="location">China had accumulated enough practical experience and was speeding up its governance as a result.A legislative work plan for the year issued last week by the data-entity-id="19359" data-entity-type="organization">State Council, data-entity-id="237" data-entity-type="location">China’s cabinet, outlined plans to “improve data-entity-id="128339" data-entity-type="topic">AI governance and accelerate comprehensive legislation for the sound development of AI”.It said the government would move faster to refine legislation concerning the protection and regulation of data, data-entity-id="128341" data-entity-type="topic">computing power, data-entity-id="128342" data-entity-type="topic">algorithms, data-entity-id="128343" data-entity-type="topic">property rights, data-entity-id="128344" data-entity-type="topic">cybersecurity and data-entity-id="128345" data-entity-type="topic">supply chains.It was the first time Chinese authorities had used such detailed language to describe planned legislation on AI. Last year’s work plan simply said the authorities would “promote the legislative work for AI development”.At the same time, the National People’s Congress, data-entity-id="237" data-entity-type="location">China’s national legislature, listed AI legislation as an item to be reviewed for the third year in a row.