China has rejected appeals from US technology leaders aiming to curb the progress of artificial intelligence. Beijing labeled these warnings as mere signs of 'alarmism' and part of a containment tactic directed at the country.
This conflict illustrates how the rivalry between the two great powers intertwines with security concerns. While Dario Amodei and Sam Altman advocate for international coordination, Donald Trump emphasizes the need for American leadership to prevail in the dispute against China.
The discussion intensified after Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, published an article arguing that corporations should intentionally slow down the evolution of their models due to the inherent risks of AI. Amodei warned that Chinese leadership in this sector would pose a serious risk to both the United States and the global landscape, also advocating for restrictions on the export of technologies crucial to China. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, and Elon Musk expressed support for this perspective.
In response, Guo Jiakun, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that 'alarmism, confrontation, and malicious competition' would harm global AI governance and would not serve anyone's interests. The state newspaper Global Times reinforced this stance, classifying the suggestion of deceleration as a 'Cold War manual' focused on the AI sector.
Donald Trump also dismissed the alerts presented by industry executives. For the American president, the United States maintains the lead over China in AI, and preserving this superiority is a top priority. Trump told journalists on Sunday: 'We are leading China in AI. We are the most sophisticated country in the world, and frankly, I want to continue that way because whoever wins AI wins.'
Amodei drew an analogy between the dispute between nations and a Cold War arms race, arguing that both sides should collaborate, although he expressed little hope that this would happen. Altman also advocated for the need for government coordination to deal with the dangers brought by technological advancement.
Beijing's refusal to accept deceleration does not imply that the Chinese government ignores the risks of AI. Chen Yixin, Minister of State Security, stated that the country needs to accelerate the creation of a system capable of preventing and controlling security problems related to technology. He also advocated for broad international cooperation, defining AI as a new domain of strategic rivalry.
The clash encompasses issues such as the difficulty of establishing common standards due to technological competition. Chinese companies can offer advanced AI performance at a fraction of the cost of American models, while Xi Jinping positions China as a defender of open-source models. For Ja Ian Chong, a professor at the National University of Singapore and a researcher at Carnegie China, the bilateral relationship is characterized by deep mistrust, comparing the situation to an arms race and finding a simultaneous reduction of risks unlikely.
An agreement between China and the US to slow down AI appears distant. However, experts interviewed by NBC News suggest that the two countries may implement internal security measures, exchange knowledge, and increase accountability. The dispute is expected to be a central theme in the meeting between Xi Jinping and Trump, scheduled for September 24 in Washington.