CGTN Poll: When machines begin to think, what questions should humans answer?

Editor's Note: The author, Shen Yang, is a professor jointly appointed by the School of Journalism and Communication and the School of Artificial Intelligence at Tsinghua University.

Throughout history, every technological revolution has represented both an externalization of human capability and a redefinition of humanity itself. Artificial intelligence, however, marks a deeper shift.

It no longer simply records reality – it is beginning to anticipate it. It no longer merely interprets the world as it exists, but increasingly arranges the hierarchy of possible futures before they unfold.

In this sense, prediction is no longer just a description of what may come; it is becoming a force that actively shapes what comes next.

The deeper question posed by artificial intelligence is not whether machines can think like humans, but what kind of authority their judgments are beginning to command. Who confers that authority? Who holds it accountable? And, ultimately, what kind of future will it create for humanity?

At the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance, China put forward its vision for AI governance: upholding a people-centered approach and ensuring that AI is developed for good so that it serves as an important driver for shared prosperity and common security, while working together to build a just and equitable system for global AI governance.

This vision addresses not only the gap in technological capabilities but also the widening gap between the pace of technological evolution and the pace of governance consensus. As technological advances continue to outstrip the formation of consensus, power may arrive before the rules meant to govern it. AI governance, therefore, is not merely about managing risks – it is about striking a balance between technological innovation and the rules-based order.

A CGTN global online survey found that 85.4% of respondents believe the rapid development of AI is creating new challenges for global security and governance. Meanwhile, 92.6% expressed concern that deepfakes and AI-generated misinformation could erode the very foundations of social trust, and 87.8% worried that technological barriers and "digital walls" could fragment global scientific and technological cooperation.

These findings suggest that the challenges posed by AI have long extended beyond technology itself. Strengthening global governance and forging broader international consensus have become shared imperatives in the age of artificial intelligence.

The survey also found that 82.6% of respondents believe developing countries and the Global South should play a greater role in shaping the rules of AI governance to ensure the system is fair and inclusive. Meanwhile, 87.5% hope the international community will work together to promote AI that is accessible and inclusive, preventing technology from becoming a new driver of inequality.

These findings reflect not only the global public's shared expectations for AI governance but also a growing international consensus that openness and cooperation, not technological monopolies, and inclusiveness and shared benefits, not regulatory barriers, should define the future of AI governance.

A civilization that can only be translated, summarized and interpreted through someone else's AI models has not yet truly entered the age of intelligence. A genuinely fair system of global AI governance must respect the diverse development paths and value systems of different countries and cultures, ensuring that every civilization retains the right to understand the world through its own conceptual framework, to train intelligent systems on its own terms, and to shape the future of AI accordingly. The values and modes of thinking embodied by different civilizations are not "noise" for algorithms to eliminate, but irreplaceable sources of wisdom that humanity will need to navigate an uncertain future.

The objective of global AI governance is not to establish a single "correct" model of the world, but to ensure that no single understanding of the world becomes dominant. Governance is not the enemy of innovation; it is innovation's second creation.

The first occurs in the laboratory, where machines acquire capability. The second takes place through institutions, ethical norms, and international cooperation, where technology is endowed with purpose, limits, and responsibility. Intelligence without governance is simply power. Intelligence shaped by shared values, however, is what enables technology to become a genuine force for the common good.

In the age of artificial intelligence, AI governance is about more than shared prosperity and common security; it is also about our shared ability to shape the future. A truly just AI order should do more than ensure that the benefits of technological progress are shared by all. It must also guarantee that every country and every civilization has a voice in setting the rules and determining the direction of AI's future. The future should not be a predetermined answer generated by a model, but an unfinished draft written collectively by humanity – one that remains open to revision by all.

That machines have begun to think marks a milestone in the history of technology. That humanity can shoulder responsibility together and preserve the freedom to choose is what marks the progress of civilization.