Abstract:Artificial intelligence (AI) technology not only rapidly empowers economic and social development, but may also trigger many ethical issues highly related to the characteristics and development of AI technology itself. The rise of international soft law in the field of AI ethical governance is almost inevitable due to its flexibility, efficiency, low application cost, ability to fill the gap in hard law, and convenience in distinguishing governance and layered response to ethical issues. Under the current situation of developed international soft law and outdated hard law in this field, faced with the governance challenge of unstable cooperation among subjects of international soft law and sometimes unable to be effectively implemented, the governance model has gradually changed towards a combination of soft law and hard law, and the “hardening” of soft law, in order to improve the binding force and enforcement possibility of soft law. It is suggested to construct a “centre-periphery” model of mixed international soft and hard law governance, and construct an indirect enforcement mechanism to improve the international soft law governance strategies of artificial intelligence ethics.