Government Departments Launch Action Plans to Accelerate Development of Computing Infrastructure and Ensure Technology Ethics
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, along with five other departments, have jointly released the “Action Plan for the High-Quality Development of Computing Infrastructure”. In addition, the Ministry of Science and Technology, along with ten other departments, issued the “Technology Ethics Review Measures (Trial)”. These initiatives aim to accelerate the development of new productive forces and ensure the ethical use of technology.
According to Wu Yin, a professor at Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, computing power and ethics are essential for the smooth operation of emerging industries. Just like the “power system” and “braking system”, both components must work together to ensure the fast and steady development of future industries.
Strategic emerging industries and future industries heavily rely on high-quality computing power. The action plan sets goals for computing power, carrying capacity, storage capacity, and application empowerment by 2025. These indicators include achieving a computing power scale of over 300EFLOPS, intelligent computing power reaching 35%, direct network transmission with a delay no higher than 1.5 times the theoretical delay, and the use of new technologies accounting for 40% of all network technologies.
Zhang Lei, deputy general manager of Inspur Computer Server Product Department, emphasizes the importance of building a solid foundation for computing power. With the rise of artificial intelligence and the diversification of application scenarios, computing power must adapt to critical computing, special computing, and accelerated computing. Computing infrastructure needs to meet the evolving requirements of emerging technologies such as autonomous driving and intelligent manufacturing.
Technology ethics play a crucial role in guiding the ethical use of new technologies. The recently released “Technology Ethics Review Measures (Trial)” identifies seven activities that require ethical review, including the development of algorithm models, applications and systems with the ability to mobilize public opinion, and autonomous decision-making systems for high-risk scenarios. These reviews aim to protect the healthy development of future industries rather than restrict them.
To further develop new productive forces, relevant ministries and commissions have taken various measures. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology organized the unveiling of future industrial innovation tasks in 2023, focusing on metaverse, humanoid robots, brain-computer interfaces, and general artificial intelligence. They aim to accelerate the application of new technologies and products in these areas.
Experts believe that future industries represent the direction of technology and industry development. They are characterized by high technological content, green development, strong industrial correlation, and large market opportunities. These industries integrate innovative technologies across multiple fields, making them important contributors to new productivity.
However, developing future industries requires tailored policies. Simply applying previous policies for mature industries may lead to disorderly development, duplicated investments, and resource wastage. Top-level design and overall coordination are crucial. Disruptive technologies are a key aspect of future industries, and cities with strong research foundations may have an advantage in deploying and driving these industries, according to Wang Bin, vice chairman of the China Technology Entrepreneurship Association.