China's Betting Big On Artificial Intelligence. Could The US Lose The AI Race? | Insight

China wants to be a global leader in Artificial Intelligence by 2030. Tech giant Baidu recently released Ernie Bot to rival the much-vaunted ChatGPT. In China, A.I. is finding applications in healthcare, education, and entertainment. McKinsey estimates that A.I. could add 600 billion to China's economy by the end of the decade.

Yet, suspicions over data handling and privacy could limit Chinese A.I. beyond the country’s borders. The ongoing trade war over microchips also puts a hardware hurdle in its path. Can Beijing truly realise its A.I. ambitions?

00:00 Introduction
01:26 Driverless taxis ply Beijing's roads
05:21 Why is China investing heavily in AI?
13:29 Can AI help address China's healthcare needs?
18:04 Students using AI to improve their studies
23:44 Is AI a threat to jobs in China?
31:55 Concerns about data privacy
35:45 Beijing's rules for generative AI
38:08 Chinese chatbots versus ChatGPT
40:33 Challenges faced by Chinese AI companies
44:19 Can China catch up in the AI race?

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ABOUT THE SHOW: Insight investigates and analyses topical issues that impact Asia and the rest of the world.
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[stephenho]

Data security and risk is not a particularly issue for Chinese tech but a problem associated with tech from any country. You think the US companies are not secretly collecting data from their tech for use for their and US government’s own interests? The US is just doesn’t like others playing their game.

[godzillamothra]

Talking about censorship, few months ago I asked ChatGpt about US war crimes in the past 20th century. At first, ChatGpt gave me answer about how it was complicated yada yada yada and how it was subjective. When I kept pushing for answer whether the US has committed war crimes, ChatGpt gave me two answers, one answer is that it acknowledged that some people may think the US has committed a war crime, while the other one I forgot already, but I remember none of them really answered my question, and asked me to choose the one I like, LMAO.

[PhilipWong]

It was cheaper for China to buy reliable Western chips, benefiting both sides. China spends more on chip imports than on oil. The "Made in China 2025" initiative provided substantial funds for chip development, but companies were hesitant due to technical challenges and the risk of competing with established players like Intel, Samsung, and TSMC. The US sanctions forced the Chinese to develop their own supply chain. When self-sufficient, China can provide the world with cheaper chips, while the West and its allies lose access to both the Chinese and global markets.

The US is developing its own supply chain, but without access to a large market, it cannot be competitive.

The US is leaving no knees untouched in its Tonya Harding competition strategy.

The Chinese are very grateful to the US for pushing them towards self-sufficiency. Thanks to the US, China now has its own GPS system and space program. More sanctions, please.

Historically, the West has utilized new technologies for military or imperialistic purposes before finding broader applications. The West primarily used gunpowder to create weapons of war, such as cannons and firearms, allowing Western powers to expand their military capabilities and dominate other regions through conquest and colonization of the Americas, Africa, and Asia. The steam engine was instrumental in expanding colonial empires, as steam-powered ships facilitated easier transportation of goods and troops, enabling Western powers to exploit resources and establish control over distant territories. The first use of nuclear technology was dropping atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. The same pattern will emerge with AI. The CHIPS Act, high-end chips, and EUV sanctions imply that the US is already working on the weaponization of AI.

Following its historical pattern, China will mainly use AI for commercial and peaceful purposes. Papermaking revolutionized communication, education, and record-keeping, spreading knowledge and culture. Gunpowder was used for fireworks. The compass was adapted for navigational purposes, allowing for more accurate sea travel and exploration. Printing facilitated the dissemination of information, literature, and art, contributing to cultural exchange and education. Porcelain was highly prized both domestically and internationally as a luxury item and a symbol of Chinese craftsmanship. Silk was one of the most valuable commodities traded along the Silk Road and played a significant role in China's economy and diplomacy.

[RichardBrett]

I am not surprised if China has already developed even more advanced technologies that we don't know anything about. 👍👍👍

[supervince]

Thanks for an unbiased report on China's technology

[dyrectory_com]

When China sets its goals on something... it gets accomplished. And then it excels at it. 💡

[havencat]

for the humanity sake China needs to overcome all the US obstacles and create a multi polar world. No country can decide how others needs to be, atm US wants everyone to be like them, that is unfair and undemocratic. Cheers from UK!

[tahaplh]

I appreciate how, whenever China and data collection are discussed, there's an insistence that the West is concerned about potential alternative uses of the data as if the West doesn't engage in utilizing collected data for various purposes.

[randommandom]

Smart educated people will understand that the perception of your data being used or taken are not just done by China. But by every country. All the same.

Hello from Indonesia

[jukio]

China isn't just building AI, but robots too. Fourier gr1 comes to mind. These robots will help take care of the elderly and do any job that needs filling.

[polysporin]

China does graduate 1 million more STEM students than the USA each year. Not necessarily in AI, but it is a good measure.
Asian countries regularly take top 20% of science and mathematics competitions.

[williamwilliam]

Most of the world seems to forget or ignore that China was a late starter into the technological world when, some 43 odd years ago, it was a dirt poor economically and militarily weak nation. Their economy was even worse than Mexico. Look at where they are today and now, being right at the starting gate when AI is taking off, I have absolutely no doubt that China will make much more progress than other nations who can only wonder and speculate where China will be in the next 50-100 years.

[PACotnoir]

As a member of a minority nation in Canada. I'm more aware and upset by the supremacy of the "anglosphere" over the other countries through Five Eyes, Echelon, etc. than by China.

[fabiodeoliveiraribeiro]

In the USA, poor Americans excluded from the benefits of economic and technological development have already begun to attack and destroy autonomous robots that make deliveries. This kind of resentment is not seen in China. I assume this will be the main comparative advantage of the Chinese over their American competitors.

[SoCalFreelance]

The US forcing China to develop its own state of the art chip technologies will pay off in the long run for China. Another AI area China is known for is Smart City / Safe City technologies and social credit systems to ensure a harmonious society. Would like to know more about that.

[jayZHTMM]

The world should use AI to focus on education. Only education can improve the quality of life.

[glumour]

strangely China didn't panic when it was banned regarding chips... China responded only with "rare earth"... all countries panicked...

[smartguy]

A big leap forward in terms of efficiency:
This is what prompted the Chinese scientists to develop ACCEL. ACCEL is fast and capable of performing 4.6 quadrillion operations per second, in comparison to NVIDIA's A100, which delivers 0.312 quadrillion operations per second of deep learning performance. (2 Nov 2023).

[issactian]

I don't think China is lagging behind the US as being mentioned by the reporter just because the US came out with a chat box. It just a voice google copy.
The China US AI race is neck to neck with China even leading in some area like the autonomous vehicles. China has also overtaken the US in it beidou global positioning. Smart Alex reporting by CNA, just to remind you that you are reporting on a China platform of autononous vehicles .😅

[dannyhang]

When my ancestors succeeded the west said it threatening . But for me let say whenever they wanted because they jealous .Etc.