Honor CEO Emphasizes Importance of Data Privacy in AI Advancements

HANGZHOU, China — The transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) is meaningless without ensuring user data privacy, according to George Zhao, CEO of Chinese smartphone company Honor. In an exclusive interview with CNBC on Thursday, Zhao highlighted the company’s commitment to data protection amid increasing integration of AI features in smartphones.

His comments come as Apple announced the rollout of personalized AI tools on certain devices in the U.S. this fall. Honor, known for its innovative AI functions like gaze-based notifications and seamless app integration, prioritizes keeping AI operations involving personal data confined to the device—known as on-device AI—rather than relying on cloud computing.

“Without data security and user privacy protection, AI will become worthless,” Zhao said in Mandarin, translated by CNBC. He reiterated that this principle is central to Honor’s value proposition.

Zhao also shared his perspective on AI’s development, noting the growing power of network (cloud) AI, but emphasizing the increasing intimacy and consumer empowerment offered by on-device AI.