China's NDRC to Accelerate Foundational and Comprehensive AI Legislation

China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said on November 3 that it will accelerate foundational and comprehensive legislation on artificial intelligence, balancing development and security during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. According to ChainCatcher, Wang Ruomeng, deputy director of the NDRC’s Department of Innovation and High-Tech Development, outlined four areas of work at a press conference on fostering new growth drivers. The commission plans to improve governance rules, including laws covering shared elements such as data, computing power and algorithms, and key AI application scenarios. It will also establish full-lifecycle safety standards and ethical guidelines, with periodic assessments of implementation. Other measures include setting reasonable regulatory transition periods, offering compliance guidance across industries and supporting AI regulatory sandboxes with procedures for applications, testing, use and exit. The NDRC also plans to clarify the governance responsibilities of government agencies, industry groups, businesses and the public, and encourage developers and operators to manage risks and report safety incidents and vulnerabilities. To address AI’s social effects, it will monitor employment changes, seek to add roles such as AI model trainers and data annotators to the national occupational classification system, and track risks of job displacement. It also plans to strengthen the tracing of algorithmic discrimination, deepfakes and privacy leaks, and promote interventions against addiction and emotional dependence.