China embraces practical artificial intelligence
China has a very different vision of AI than the United States, one that emphasizes practicality and application over the pursuit of general or super AI. While the U.S. is spending billions of dollars and using vast amounts of energy to try to surpass China in achieving AI that matches or surpasses human thinking, Beijing is basing its strategy on developing practical, low-cost tools that enhance the country's efficiency and are easy to commercialize both internally and externally. While Silicon Valley aspires to a quantum leap that would give the United States huge military and scientific advantages, Chinese leader Xi Jinping sees practical applications of AI as the key to realizing tangible benefits today, not just dreams of the future.
Practical applications of AI in China
China is focusing its efforts on the use of AI in everyday life and the economy. Local ChatGPT-like models, under state supervision, are used to evaluate high school entrance exams, optimize weather forecasts, guide police, and advise farmers on crop rotation. Tsinghua University has launched an AI-powered hospital to help doctors make decisions based on the latest medical data, while intelligent robots are employed to run dark car factories and inspect textiles for defects. Julian Gewirtz, a former U.S. National Security Council official, argues that Beijing considers practical, high-impact applications a top priority because they can be exploited here and now, not just distant dreams.
Integrated government support
Unlike the U.S., where AI support is concentrated in the private sector, the Chinese government is investing its full force to support its vision. In January, the government announced an $8.4 billion AI investment fund focused on startups, followed by the launch of local funding programs from governments and state banks, with development plans under the "AI+" campaign that aims to integrate AI into science, technology, industry, and the economy by 2030. China is also moving towards adopting open-source models to make the technology more accessible to companies and users and lower the costs of building AI-based businesses, contributing to the spread of its technology globally and leading Silicon Valley to adopt some of this approach later on.
Contrast with the United States
This Chinese approach is distinctly different from the ambitions of major tech companies in the United States that are pursuing super-AI, which can outthink humans and revolutionize science and military research. Some companies expect super-AI to arrive by 2027, and are investing endlessly in the talent, data centers, and energy needed to achieve this goal. A committee in the U.S. Congress has even put forward a project known as the Manhattan Project for Artificial General Intelligence to ensure the U.S. has a leg up in this race. In contrast, China is focusing on what can be exploited now from AI to boost the economy and society, while minimizing the high risks associated with super-AI, which could give it a competitive advantage if AGI remains a distant dream.
Is the focus on "apps" trumping the general AI race?
