Xu Yang-sheng, president of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, recently said, “Artificial intelligence is more than just a technological tool; it combines new ways of thinking, behavioral norms, and value judgments.” His message carries a lot of weight. AI reminds us that it brings not only opportunities but also significant risks.
First, most people believe that AI is just a tool. We humans take the values we hold dear and use them to our advantage. Xu said AI has the potential to change our lifestyles and reshape our values. If we are not careful and are fooled by AI, humanity could be negatively affected.
AI is becoming useful and extremely powerful. Given that we all share human frailty, some may seek to use AI to harm others by cheating or gaining unfair advantage. Even people who are normally fair-minded may find themselves telling themselves, “If I don’t cross the line, others will too.” Any previously existing “lines” can be erased. The world will become more dangerous for everyone.
That’s why preserving the human spirit and ensuring good governance in the use of AI is paramount. Without proper governance, honest people will be deceived. The world will be in chaos. Mr. Xu urged the younger generation to master AI tools, maintain independent thinking, adhere to the moral bottom line, and embrace the digital age with reason, responsibility, and cultural sensitivity.
I have studied human nature for decades and have concluded that independent thinking is rare. In this era of AI, eminent philosopher Chou Guoping’s warning is most timely. He emphasized that we must have human warmth, strong moral judgment, and continually strive to become better people. Unfortunately, we cannot take this for granted.
Fortunately, China is a truly civilized country. This means that Chinese civilization is widely shared and cherished by the people. Chinese civilization values the principle of self-cultivation or personal growth. Very liberal, not authoritarian. “The world is one family” (book of rituals); “The sea accepts all rivers”, “The enlightened person follows the celestial bodies and follows the right path” (I Ching); “The first priority is human beings, the second is the system, and the emperor is the last.” (Confucian philosopher Mencius); “Wisdom, benevolence, and courage are the three great virtues” (book of rituals); “If you make a mistake, have the courage to correct it.”vocabulary). Taoism is a religion indigenous to China, but Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam were welcomed into China.
Some commentators believe that the idea of a civilized state is authoritarian and rejects alternative ways of life. They don’t know that Chinese civilization is very tolerant. In fact, a country that rejects alternative ways of life, seeks to maintain a single culture, and considers alternative ways of life inferior is not truly civilized. The human mind is “colorblind”. There should be no discrimination because all human beings should be equally respected. This does not exclude that some ways of life in any civilization may be uncivilized and should not be allowed in the civilized world. Examples include slavery, human trafficking, gender-based discrimination, animal abuse, and counterfeiting.
China is a truly civilized country. This means that Chinese civilization is widely shared and cherished by the people. Chinese civilization values the principle of self-cultivation or personal growth. very liberal, not authoritarian
Chinese culture is so appealing that it was championed by non-Han emperors such as Kangxi and Qianlong in the 17th and 18th centuries. These two Manchu emperors had deep knowledge of Chinese classics and were also calligraphers. The Kangxi Emperor ruled from 1661 to 1722 and was known for his accomplishments as a politician, scientist, calligrapher, and poet. Emperor Qianlong, who reigned from 1735 to 1796, was not only a great poet; Sik Quanshutook 13 years to complete.
Chinese culture exalts the human spirit and encourages learning and critical thinking (vocabulary: “If you learn without thinking, you will not understand. It is dangerous to think without studying.”) Also, I Ching It includes the advice that “virtue is all-encompassing.” In other words, Chinese culture is all about personal growth. Strong personal growth allows a person to hold fast to his humanity and well-developed virtues. Only then can we overcome our tendency to cut corners and take advantage of the opportunities for unethical behavior that AI provides.
My attention was drawn to two lawsuits involving AI. One happened in China and the other in the United States. Baidu, also known as the “Google of China,” has been charged with defamation based on AI illusions. We published the news that a lawyer was indicted on an innocent crime and sentenced to three years in prison. Baidu claimed that it is not possible to detect AI’s hallucinations in advance. This is clearly not a valid excuse, as it is an act of hurting an innocent person.
US AI company Anthropic has sued the US Department of the Army, alleging that the US government’s decision to blacklist it from government service violates its First Amendment rights. Anthropic wanted to prevent its Claude model from being used for domestic mass surveillance or fully autonomous lethal weapons, and the U.S. government wants to punish the company for this.
These examples show that while good governance is necessary, enforcement will be difficult unless we all protect the human spirit.
The author is an honorary fellow at Lingnan University’s Pan Su Tong Shanghai and Hong Kong Economic Policy Research Institute, and an adjunct professor at the Academy of Applied Policy Research and Educational Future, Hong Kong University of Education.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
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