Robin Li, chairman and CEO of leading Chinese search engine Baidu Inc, answers queries outside the Great Hall of the People on March 3. (Photo/China News Service)
Special: NPC, CPPCC Sessions 2019
(ECNS) -- Baidu CEO Robin Li, also a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, urged on Monday for ethical research into and top-level design of AI amid the increasing use of the technology.
AI has far-reaching impacts on human society in every respect, from individual consumers to product manufacturing, he said.
One problem amid technical progress is the isolated data island, which means a disconnection among data, Li explained.
To focus on AI is to focus on the future of technology, he noted, taking electronic medical records as an entry point.
"Electronic medical records are produced in most large hospitals, but a patient has to describe their diseases to doctors again and again and repeat examinations. This is a huge waste of social resources," it was added.
"I think what AI should do is help serve people, rather than hurt and control," he said. With the development of AI technology, there are more and more discussions on human-machine relationship and AI ethics. Li suggested that relevant departments strengthen research in AI ethics and deal with the relationship between machines and humans.
He suggested the National Health Commission take a lead in the management, research and utilization of digital medical records and speed up the use of AI.
The government should take a lead in organizing experts across industries -- AI enterprises, AI users and the public -- to research AI from an ethics perspective, in order to make sure AI as a technology is at the service of people, he emphasized.