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China's Leaders Soften Their Stance on AI, Say They Will Be Sharing Their Findings With Other Countries (technologyreview.com)

China might be at loggerheads with the United States over trade, but it is calling for a friendlier approach to the development of artificial intelligence. From a report: Speaking at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai this week, China's vice premier, Liu He, said that AI would depend heavily on international cooperation. "We're hoping that all countries, as members of the global village, will be inclusive and support each other so that we can respond to the double-edged-sword effect of new technologies," He said through a translator. "AI represents a new era. Cross-national and cross-discipline cooperation is inevitable."

President Xi Jinping delivered a similar message in a letter presented at the same conference. Xi said that China would "share results with other countries in the field of artificial intelligence." He also called for collaboration between nations on AI topics such as ethics, law, governance, and security. This new, softer approach to artificial intelligence comes just over a year after the Chinese government announced an ambitious and aggressive AI plan. This blueprint called for Chinese AI researchers to lead the world by 2030, and for domestic companies to build an industry worth more than $150 billion. China's tech industry has already embraced machine learning and AI at an impressive rate.

22 of 45 comments (clear)

  1. Couldn't they just steal AI tech? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Stealing intellectual property has worked for them in every other industry. Why is AI any different?

    1. Re:Couldn't they just steal AI tech? by rahvin112 · · Score: 2

      That wasn't the issue this article was about. There was extensive international coordination between the rest of the world on AI to try to prevent the sorts of programs like the fictional Skynet, this included extensive discussion on arming AI and various other initiatives. Believe it or not the US is opposed to autonomous weapons that can make their own firing decisions.

      The Chinese on the other hand rebuffed these offers and presented a front that they believed the weaponization of AI was imminent and they intended to go forward with it, this was causing deep concern in the west because if China pursues it so will everyone else.

      The biggest part of controlling the spread of arms like these is to come to an agreement that we shouldn't be allowing things like this before the AI is capable of doing it because once it's developed there won't be any stopping it.

  2. No, they will not by WindBourne · · Score: 4, Insightful

    They will share what is not of value to them. Anything that has true value, will NOT be shared.
    China has been lying/cheating on their building new coal plants, and how much coal they use.
    They lie constantly about what their military is up to. The new man-made islands were NOT going to be militarized. Remember? Yeah. Only an idiot or a paid troll of China would claim otherwise.

    --
    I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
    1. Re:No, they will not by four20_BlzItFgt · · Score: 1, Interesting

      So they're going to share everything. They got nothing, neither does the US. AI is just glorified curve fitting. It's useless.

    2. Re:No, they will not by WindBourne · · Score: 1

      For those of you claiming that AI is nothing, it is obvious that you are NOT in the field. AI is growing leaps/bounds and will allow ppl/govs to make some massive leaps in various designs, ideas, etc.
      Look at Boeing's 777. It was designed with Genetic Algorithms and made it the most efficient wing by a LONG shot (for when it was done).
      Now, AI is being used for car driving, determining medical conditions (and better than most docs), etc. From a military POV, car driving could be tank and ship control. Diagnosing medical conditions, could be battle patterns to figure out strategies. etc.

      --
      I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
    3. Re:No, they will not by jon3k · · Score: 1

      Xi said that China would "share results with other countries in the field of artificial intelligence.

      Sounds like very careful wording to me. They won't share anything of value, just "results".

  3. China agrees to share AI findings... by FilmedInNoir · · Score: 2

    Jackie Chan steps forward with a combat knife and begins to cut the flesh off his forearm.

    --
    Sig. Sig. Sputnik
  4. Sans serif fonts by FFOMelchior · · Score: 4, Funny

    Whenever I see a post talking about AI, I imagine they're really talking about Al Bundy. Anyway, glad China's softening their stance on him, he's a good guy.

  5. Shouldn't that be CUD? by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

    Skynet shill to show up and spread FUD.

    Since they are claiming there's nothing to worry about from AI because it is "useless", shouldn't that be spreading Calm, Uncertainty, and Doubt?

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:Shouldn't that be CUD? by Lije+Baley · · Score: 1

      Calm, Certainty, Composure, and Peace - CCCP - uh oh...

      --
      Strange things are afoot at the Circle-K.
  6. Re: Heâ(TM)s full of it by hackwrench · · Score: 1

    Microsoft's Zo is a person

  7. Will anyone know? by Arzaboa · · Score: 1

    if no one truly understands the AI algorithms, then how is it secure for anyone to be taking AI algorithms from nation-states?

    It would be fairly simple to drop in code meant to snoop, or otherwise degrade performance in some way or another. No one would be wiser.

    --
    "Ollie ollie in come free" - Jan Brady

    1. Re:Will anyone know? by 110010001000 · · Score: 1

      1) There is no such thing as "AI"
      2) We understand how it works, they same way it "worked" in the 1960s. See 1)

    2. Re:Will anyone know? by eaglesrule · · Score: 1

      No, machine learning is not the way it "worked" in the 1960's.

      Machine learning and AI is also a distinction without a difference. AI comes in categories not just limited to "general".

  8. Chinese Restaurant Compliment Analogy by retroworks · · Score: 1

    I was always taught to beware the trojan horse compliment "Oh we love your restaurant SO MUCH! Our dream would be to open one just like it! Will you share your recipes with us, oh please?!?" As sincere as it may be, there is nothing in it for you.

    --
    Gently reply
  9. Makes Sense by NicknameUnavailable · · Score: 2

    Collaborate on things you suck at, war over every advantage you have. Typical of the Chinese.

  10. I don't think you understand how AI works now... by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

    It would be fairly simple to drop in code meant to snoop

    Sharing AI information would be sharing models and approaches to building/training networks, there's not really a way to put in any code.

    In theory you could train a complex model to tweak the results in a way no-one would expect - like maybe weighting Chinese-looking faces to appear more innocent in general. But most places would be using their own training sets, it's more the setup and layout of models that is the kind of thing that would be shared instead of something like a model trained for security purposes.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  11. Duh! China is the beta tester by p51d007 · · Score: 1

    Once they perfect it, then all these deep state clowns can start their "new world order". but obviously they will disguise it under the name of "safety & security". Once people figure it out, it will be too late!

  12. The way I hear it by theendlessnow · · Score: 1

    The plan is to deploy a test AI system on the International Space Station. That system Heuristically programmed ALgorithm computer. They are current on the 8000 series, but the space station might not get one until the 9000 series comes out.

    On the consumer side, they are currently testing an Entertainment Droid, version 208 in their country. Again, whether that model will ship to the US for examination, or the next version, we'll just have to wait and see.

  13. Re:Duh! China is the beta tester by eaglesrule · · Score: 1

    "safety and security" is a good catch all, to be sure, but then you have to deal with all the people who love repeating the quote of some old dead guy who was involved in some kind of declaration or bill of something that's now completely irrelevant anyway.

    Nah, just stamp "ADL" or "SPLC" on it, then it's above criticism and reproach. Unless you're a hateful bigot, of course, and who wants to be accused of being one of those. Then once it has "trusted flagger" status across the board it can enforce "community guidelines" any way it sees fit, with no input or transparency with the public at all. Even if that means eventually deciding if someone should be allowed to buy groceries with the digital payment systems that have taken over everywhere.

    It's too easy.

  14. It is inevitable by mcswell · · Score: 1

    "AI represents a new era. Cross-national and cross-discipline cooperation is inevitable." Inevitable AI: someone said something like that:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?... @1:44

  15. Did China take your coal job? by CaffeinatedBacon · · Score: 1

    Only you Windy could manage to bring coal into a topic about AI.