China Will Help You With AI, Xi Tells Developing Nations

China wants to be the go-to tech partner for developing nations, and it's turning to their organization to do it. At a summit of the BRICS bloc in New Delhi, President Xi Jinping pledged that China will spearhead artificial-intelligence cooperation among member countries, according to a statement from Beijing's foreign ministry released Sunday. Proposals include creating a BRICS open-source AI community, backing joint work on large language models, and hosting seminars and training as part of what Xi described as an open AI ecosystem, CNBC reports.

Xi also called for a BRICS "digital ecosystem" cloud platform, expanded digital skills training, and new programs to cultivate engineers and connect young researchers across the group. Xi did not touch on AI safety concerns being aired in his remarks. In his address on Sunday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi included tech in a warning that issues including geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions, and climate crises are increasingly affecting people worldwide. He said the "weaponization of technology and critical minerals" could hinder global development and shared prosperity, per the AP. President Trump on Sunday cited competition from China as a reason to not slow AI's development, per the Washington Post.