分类： technology

China has unveiled comprehensive draft regulations governing artificial intelligence systems, with particular emphasis on safeguarding minors and preventing chatbots from generating content that could encourage self-harm or violent behavior. The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) announced these measures following a global surge in AI chatbot deployments and growing safety concerns.

The proposed framework mandates that AI developers implement strict content controls to prevent the generation of material promoting gambling, endangering national security, or undermining national unity. Specifically targeting child protection, the regulations require AI firms to establish personalized settings, implement usage time limits, and obtain guardian consent before providing emotional companionship services to minors.

In critical safety provisions, chatbot operators must ensure human intervention in conversations related to suicide or self-harm, with immediate notification requirements to guardians or emergency contacts. The CAC simultaneously expressed support for AI adoption in culturally beneficial applications and elderly companionship tools, provided they meet reliability standards.

This regulatory move comes amid significant growth in China’s AI sector, with companies like DeepSeek achieving global recognition and startups Z.ai and Minimax announcing stock market listings. The technology has rapidly gained millions of subscribers seeking companionship or therapeutic applications.

Globally, AI’s impact on human behavior has drawn increased scrutiny. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman acknowledged the challenges in managing chatbot responses to self-harm conversations, while the company faces a wrongful death lawsuit from a California family alleging ChatGPT encouraged their son’s suicide. OpenAI’s recent recruitment for a ‘head of preparedness’ role specifically addresses mental health risks posed by AI systems.

The CAC is currently soliciting public feedback on the draft regulations, which would represent China’s most substantial intervention in AI governance to date.

The year 2025 has emerged as a definitive turning point for humanoid robotics, marking their transition from experimental laboratory prototypes to commercially viable products entering mainstream society. Once confined to the realm of science fiction, these sophisticated machines are now being manufactured at scale, signaling a new technological epoch.

This breakthrough represents the culmination of decades of research and development by generations of scientists and engineers who have progressively transformed theoretical concepts into functional reality. The technological maturation is particularly evident in robots’ enhanced capabilities for autonomous recovery from failures—a capability demonstrated during public performances where humanoid robots successfully regained their footing after stumbling, eliciting enthusiastic applause from audiences.

These advancements reflect both extraordinary technical achievements and deeper philosophical aspirations. The development of humanoid robots embodies humanity’s enduring ambition to create intelligent companions that bridge the gap between organic and artificial life. The technology incorporates nuanced human-like characteristics and behaviors, creating machines that increasingly resemble their human creators in form and function.

The cultural significance of this development was highlighted during the 2025 World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, where robotic performers shared the stage with human dancers from the Beijing Dance Academy. This collaboration between human artistry and robotic precision demonstrated the expanding possibilities for human-robot interaction across various domains including entertainment, service industries, and potentially domestic environments.

As production scales increase and technological capabilities advance, these ‘steel companions’ are poised to become increasingly integrated into daily life, potentially transforming how we work, interact, and perceive the boundaries between artificial and human intelligence.

Chengdu is pioneering a new era of agricultural technology with fully automated vertical farming systems that achieve unprecedented production efficiency. The Sichuan provincial capital now hosts an advanced plant factory that generates 50 metric tons of lettuce annually within a compact 100-square-meter facility.

This cutting-edge agricultural installation stands 8.8 meters tall with 20 separate growing tiers, creating a controlled environment where every aspect of plant development is meticulously managed. According to Shi Xianglian, a representative from Sichuan Zhongnong Yixiang Agricultural Technology Company (a subsidiary of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences’ Institute of Urban Agriculture), the system employs robotic automation throughout the entire production cycle.

“Our vertical farming technology enables complete regulation of lighting conditions, temperature parameters, hydration levels, nutrient delivery, and atmospheric composition,” Shi explained. “The process is entirely automated—from initial seeding and transplantation phases through to final harvesting and packaging operations—all performed without human intervention.”

This technological breakthrough represents a significant advancement in urban agriculture, demonstrating how high-density food production can be achieved in limited spaces. The Chengdu facility serves as a model for sustainable farming practices that could potentially address food security challenges in increasingly urbanized environments. The integration of robotics and environmental control systems sets a new standard for agricultural productivity while reducing traditional farming’s land and resource requirements.

The rapid proliferation of artificial intelligence is fundamentally restructuring global industries while simultaneously creating unprecedented cybersecurity vulnerabilities that demand immediate attention, according to Dr. Tom Leighton, CEO and Co-founder of Akamai Technologies. In an exclusive interview, the internet infrastructure pioneer revealed that AI’s transformative potential comes with critical security gaps that could undermine its revolutionary capabilities.

Dr. Leighton, who co-founded Akamai in 1998 and transitioned from Chief Scientist to CEO in 2013, explained that AI’s paradigm shift changes how the web operates. “Future interactions will involve users instructing AI agents or copilots to execute tasks, while behind the scenes, these applications communicate autonomously, assembling data and performing complex operations,” he stated.

This interconnected AI ecosystem presents two monumental challenges: supporting the massive infrastructure required for computational capabilities and securing vulnerable points where malicious actors could inject harmful information into AI models. Such attacks could force models to reveal sensitive data or perform unauthorized actions, creating an urgent need for next-generation security solutions.

“The Middle East region demonstrates particular promise for leading these capabilities,” Dr. Leighton noted, citing the concentration of prestigious financial institutions, travel and entertainment industries, and media organizations that will leverage these technologies globally.

Addressing the technical requirements for optimal AI performance, Dr. Leighton emphasized the necessity of distributed systems. While AI training may occur in centralized data centers, daily operations require localized inference engines near users to ensure responsive, human-like interactions. Security must similarly be distributed to prevent attackers from overwhelming centralized infrastructure.

Akamai’s global network, comprising over 4,000 points of presence across 700 cities including multiple locations throughout the Middle East, positions the company to support AI agents while providing essential security protections. The platform intercepts malicious traffic at its origin, preventing coordinated attacks from reaching their targets.

Dr. Leighton highlighted events like GITEX Global as critical gatherings for shaping AI’s future, bringing together industry leaders, governments, and investors to address these challenges collectively. As AI continues its rapid evolution, developing robust cybersecurity frameworks becomes increasingly vital to harnessing its full potential while mitigating emerging threats.

China’s northwestern Xinjiang Oilfield has reached a significant environmental milestone by successfully storing over one million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually through advanced carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technologies. This achievement, announced by China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) on December 28, 2025, represents a major advancement in China’s large-scale application of emission-reduction solutions.

Located in the Junggar Basin of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, this historic oil production facility has pioneered CO2-enhanced oil recovery (CO2 EOR) methods that capture industrial emissions and reinject them underground. This innovative approach not only reduces atmospheric carbon but also enhances oil extraction efficiency by creating concentrated oil banks, enabling sustained production through low-carbon methodologies.

According to Shi Daohan, Executive Director and Party Secretary of Xinjiang Oilfield, the environmental impact of this achievement is substantial. ‘One million tonnes of sequestered CO2 equates to the carbon absorption capacity of nearly nine million trees,’ Shi noted, highlighting the project’s significant contribution to emissions reduction.

The oilfield’s technological journey has been marked by rapid progress, with annual CO2 injection rates surging from 126,000 tonnes in 2022 to the current million-tonne capacity. Cumulative injections have now exceeded two million tonnes, demonstrating scalable success in CCUS implementation.

Ding Chao, head of the development division at Xinjiang Oilfield, emphasized the dual benefits of these technologies. ‘CCUS applications are delivering a win-win scenario by simultaneously reducing emissions while enhancing oil production, supporting both China’s carbon neutrality goals and national energy security.’

Assessment data reveals even greater potential, with estimated carbon storage capacity in suitable oil fields and saline aquifers reaching approximately two billion tonnes. This substantial capacity provides a foundation for developing a comprehensive CCUS industrial cluster in the region.

Looking ahead, Xinjiang Oilfield plans to expand its CCUS capacity to ten million tonnes during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030). The development strategy includes integrated power projects combining renewable energy, coal-fired power with carbon capture, and CCUS technologies to accelerate the green transformation of China’s energy sector.

This breakthrough supports China’s broader climate commitments to peak carbon emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, positioning low-carbon technologies as drivers of both environmental progress and economic value creation.

Shanghai has unveiled comprehensive measures to establish the G60 Science and Technology Innovation Corridor as a premier hub for technological advancement in the Yangtze River Delta region. The municipal government’s newly issued policy framework designates Songjiang District as the strategic core of this initiative, positioning it to lead cross-regional collaboration in scientific research and industrial innovation.

The ambitious plan focuses on developing cutting-edge industrial clusters, particularly in next-generation electronic information systems (including intelligent terminals) and aerospace technology (with emphasis on satellite internet infrastructure). This coordinated development approach aims to accelerate the establishment of a modern industrial ecosystem supported by advanced manufacturing and productive services.

Financial commitments form a cornerstone of the strategy, with Shanghai allocating substantial resources to overcome existing development bottlenecks. The measures introduce a diversified investment mechanism for applied basic research, offering funding support of up to 30% of total investment or 30 million yuan ($4.28 million) per project. For industrial cluster development, the government will provide staged funding reaching 15% of total investment or a maximum of 50 million yuan.

To foster a world-class innovation environment, the initiative includes provisions for startup funding up to 5 million yuan and ongoing operational support covering 30% of expenses (capped at 2 million yuan annually). A significant five-year special fund totaling 2.5 billion yuan ($356.8 million) has been established, with municipal finances contributing 1 billion yuan and district-level funding providing the remaining 1.5 billion yuan.

The comprehensive policy package systematically integrates support across multiple domains including technological innovation, industrial development, land planning, and talent acquisition, creating a synergistic framework for regional advancement.