Prof. WANG Chunhui, Qixin Scholar (Chair Professorship), director and chief expert of the Research Base for Cyberspace Governance and Rule of Law in Digital Economy, attended the 63rd session of the Working Group Ⅳ of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) held at the UN headquarters in New York between April 4 and 8.

Attendees deliberated on each and every provision of the two draft documents about identity management and the use of AI in contracting respectively. With regard to the application of AI in automated contracting and related legal issues, representatives pondered possible disputes that would emerge when AI is employed in trade, such as the AI-supported goods, the use of AI to manage supply chains, sell goods and services, etc.

Based on the discussion of the assembly, the UNCITRAL gave the following opinions: first, the very mentioning of "the use of artificial intelligence in trade" is far beyond complex policy issues within the scope of trade, and the idea of "the use of artificial intelligence for trade" has prompted consideration of adjusting existing laws to recognize the use of AI; second, the AI system used in the context of trade is similar to the various automation systems involved in the previous work of UNCITRAL on electronic transactions; third, efforts should be made to adjust existing laws to recognize that the use of AI is based on the organization's previous efforts to harmonize the laws on electronic transactions.

In the run-up to the meeting, domestic experts and scholars were invited by the Research Base for Cyberspace Governance and Rule of Law in Digital Economy to discuss and advise on the draft document "The use of artificial intelligence and automation in contracting".

The Working Group IV is composed of all member states of the Commission, non-member states and international governmental organizations. Representatives of more than 60 countries and observers sent by international organizations and NGOs attended the session.