Project summary

The National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team/Coordination Center of China (CNCERT/CC) is emerging as a key institutional player in Chinese AI governance. Much about it remains unknown and overlooked in policy discourse. This project examines the functions of the CNCERT/CC in order to shed light on its likely influence on China’s AI policy trajectory.

What are this project's goals and how will you achieve them?

The goal is to produce a legible writeup for policy audiences which adds to their existing view of the Chinese AI governance landscape. Timeline: early Jan - mid Feb 2024.

This will be achieved by

• Identifying, translating, and summarizing primary sources relevant to understanding the CNCERT/CC’s priorities, expertise, and institutional connections.

  • In particular, I plan to focus on the CNCERT/CC’s relationship with the newly established expert committee on AI security governance under its supervision, drawing on a similar relationship between the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) and the algorithm registry as well as updates from the new committee.

• Analyzing the implications of this view of CNCERT/CC, such as how China’s AI regulations are likely to evolve to address cybersecurity concerns. 

  • This will be done through literature review on Chinese AI governance and input from researchers with relevant expertise.

How will this funding be used?

4-6 weeks salary, $600/week

Who is on your team and what's your track record on similar projects?

Matt Sheehan

What are the most likely causes and outcomes if this project fails? (premortem)

• Low tractability due to insufficient information available about the CNCERT/CC and its intentions regarding AI security governance. Based on an initial search, I put this at 20%-40% likely. This can probably be mitigated by consulting with people familiar with Chinese AI governance or the institution.

• I may lack domain-specific knowledge and heuristics to project findings about the CNCERT/CC onto insights about Chinese AI policy. I put this about 10% likely with the available mentorship. In the worst case, this results in the project being a explainer without analysis, which I think would still be worthwhile.

• I turn out to be fundamentally wrong about the CNCERT/CC’s importance and neglectedness in policy research. I put this at about 10-40% likely.
  

What other funding are you or your project getting?

None