Reference News Network, December 31 report: The Russian Valdai International Discussion Club website published an article titled "BRICS: Geopolitical 'Insurance' in the AI Competition" on December 25. The author is Anna Sertnik, associate professor at Saint Petersburg State University. Excerpts are as follows:

As a key platform for building global AI governance rules, BRICS' role is becoming increasingly important. For BRICS, enhancing cooperation in this area is more about the task of improving strategic stability and a geopolitical insurance tool under the conditions of the AI competition than an innovation issue.

In recent years, BRICS has made significant progress in AI cooperation, with member states reaching consensus on AI development, ethics, and security, which have been written into joint declarations and various recommendations. At the same time, BRICS has established a multilateral and bilateral mechanism network covering education, applied technology, and digital infrastructure.

The declaration by BRICS leaders on AI global governance adopted at the 17th BRICS Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in July is an important milestone. This was a global attempt to discuss AI governance at the intergovernmental level. Unlike previous international AI declarations mainly initiated by Western countries and involving only part of the international community, this document attempts to establish a universal and fair foundation for future international rules and institutional systems in the AI field. It is an exploration of a new regulatory framework.

In recent years, countries have established a network of numerous institutions (and mechanisms) to support BRICS' cooperation in the AI field, including the BRICS Future Network Institute, the BRICS New Industrial Revolution Partnership Forum, and the China-BRICS AI Development and Cooperation Center. However, institutional development still faces challenges such as the homogenization of initiatives.

Another challenge is the uneven development of AI among BRICS members. For BRICS, it is particularly important at present to systematically expand the network of joint research centers, scale up technical talent exchange programs, and invest in infrastructure and local AI projects in less developed member countries.

The rise of BRICS as an alternative policy-making center in the AI field naturally triggers countermeasures from the West, as the West sees it as a direct challenge to its interests and technological dominance. In response, the West has formulated a comprehensive strategy with three directions.

First, the West is implementing a technology containment policy targeting BRICS, with export restrictions still being the key means. Second, the West is exerting information and political pressure on the majority of countries outside BRICS, hoping to undermine BRICS' legitimacy in the eyes of potential partners. Third, the West is creating competitive platforms to promote its own alliances and initiatives in the AI field.

However, BRICS has not responded with confrontation but has consistently continued to strengthen its open and cooperative approach in the AI field. During the 30th regular meeting between the Chinese and Russian prime ministers on November 3, both sides decided to establish an expert committee for AI cooperation. The new institution will coordinate research, standards, and joint technology initiatives. China and Russia also confirmed their willingness to jointly strive to establish a global organization for AI cooperation, which could be the first global institution aimed at building an international AI regulatory mechanism. This initiative shows that the two countries adhere to the core role of the United Nations, inclusiveness, and respect for sovereignty as the basis of their positions.

It is important that BRICS is moving from issuing declarations to implementing specific projects. On November 20, during the "AI Journey" international conference, the countries announced the establishment of an international platform showcasing AI application cases of "BRICS+" countries and their partner countries. Currently, the platform has displayed nearly 80 AI application cases from about 30 "BRICS+" countries and their partner countries.

More and more countries, although they do not have the goal of winning the technological competition at any cost, have the task of participating in the formulation of its rules. For them, the growing BRICS is gradually becoming an attractive center.

Nevertheless, this progress remains fragmented and insufficiently institutionalized. In the future, BRICS must transition from proposing scattered initiatives to establishing stable mechanisms that ensure policy coordination, data sharing, and collective risk management. (Translated by Li Ran)

On May 4, 2025, people experience DeepSeek's artificial intelligence large model at the AI Black Tech Market in the Wensan Digital Life District in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. (Xinhua News Agency)

Original article: toutiao.com/article/7589929017882411566/

Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.