China is resisting US warnings about the pace of artificial intelligence development, according to the Guardian, with Beijing viewing calls for a slowdown as an attempt to lock in a US lead while it pursues a different balance between safety and speed.
Key facts
- The Guardian reports that Beijing believes US calls to slow AI development aim to preserve an American advantage.
- China is pursuing its own balance between AI safety and pace of development, according to the outlet.
- Education entrepreneur Boris But describes a moment about two years ago when he realised his company needed to embrace AI or risk being made obsolete.
- But's clients, parents seeking overseas study for their children, increasingly arrived with information and opinions drawn from chatbots rather than rival firms.
China is pushing back against warnings from the United States over the speed of artificial intelligence development, according to the Guardian. Beijing views US calls for a slowdown as an effort to lock in an American advantage, and is instead pursuing what the outlet describes as a different balance between safety and pace.
The Guardian reports on Boris But, an education entrepreneur who had what he calls a “penny-drop moment” about two years ago, realising that, like many others in China, his company needed to embrace AI before it was made obsolete by the technology.
But’s clients are well-off parents looking to send their children to study overseas. According to the Guardian, they had begun arriving in his office reciting information and opinions gathered not from rival firms, but from chatbots.
Further details of Beijing’s position and the wider policy dispute were not available in the portion of the report reviewed.
Why it matters
The disagreement centres on how quickly AI should advance and how safety should be weighed against competition, an issue the Guardian frames as dividing the United States and China, the world's two largest economies.
Frequently asked questions
Why is China resisting US warnings about AI?
According to the Guardian, Beijing believes that US calls to slow AI development are intended to lock in an American advantage, so it is pursuing its own balance between safety and pace rather than following those warnings.
How is AI adoption affecting businesses in China?
The Guardian reports that businesses feel pressure to adopt AI quickly. Education entrepreneur Boris But said he realised about two years ago that his company needed to embrace AI or risk being made obsolete, as clients increasingly arrived citing information from chatbots.