China: Adopted CAC Guidelines for the Construction of a National Comprehensive Standardisation System for the Artificial Intelligence Industry

On 3 July 2024, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) issued its Guidelines for the Construction of a National Comprehensive Standardisation System for the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Industry. The guidelines aim to strengthen the planning of AI standardisation to promote technological advancement, industrial development, upgrading, and safety. Furthermore, they focus on coordinating high-quality development and security, enhancing AI standard design and industry chain coordination, and promoting the formulation, implementation, and internationalisation of AI standards to support China's AI industry development. The key directions outlined in the guidelines include basic common standards for AI terminology, reference architecture, test evaluation, management, and sustainability. Furthermore, the guidelines outline basic support standards for data services, smart chips, sensors, computing equipment, computing centres, system software, development frameworks, and software-hardware collaboration. Moreover, the guidelines outline key technical standards for machine learning, knowledge graphs, large models, natural language processing, intelligent speech, computer vision, biometric recognition, human-machine hybrid intelligence, intelligent agents, swarm intelligence, cross-media intelligence, and embodied intelligence. In addition, the guidelines cover smart product and service standards for intelligent robots, vehicles, mobile terminals, digital humans, and smart services. Finally, the guidelines outline security standards addressing security across the AI lifecycle, including basic security, data, algorithms, networks, technology, system security, security management, and governance.