As @yaqui’s recent piece explains, China’s AI governance approach is driven by the state, not by open public debate. Independent civil society, journalists, labor advocates, and human rights lawyers who challenge AI-related harms have been systematically silenced, leaving little room for meaningful public oversight.

AI is increasingly reinforcing the CCP’s system of information control. Chinese government regulations require AI to uphold “core socialist values,” while politically sensitive topics are censored. Critics of AI-enabled surveillance have faced censorship and reprisals, making genuine public debate nearly impossible.

As AI becomes central to geopolitical discussions, understanding how authoritarian regimes govern and weaponize these technologies is more important than ever. Through HRF’s AI for Individual Rights program, we examine how AI can both expand freedom and entrench repression.