Uploaded August 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In the debate over slowing down AI, we often hear the same argument against regulation. “What about China? We can’t let China get ahead.” To dig into the nuances of this argument, Tristan and Aza speak with academic researcher Jeffrey Ding and journalist Karen Hao, who take us through what’s really happening in Chinese AI development. They address China’s advantages and limitations, what risks are overblown, and what, in this multi-national competition, is at stake as we imagine the best possible future for everyone.
CORRECTION: Jeffrey Ding says the export controls on advanced chips that were established in October 2022 only apply to military end-users. The controls also impose a license requirement on the export of those advanced chips to any China-based end-user.
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Recent Trends in China’s Large Language Model Landscape by Jeffrey Ding and Jenny W. Xiao (uploads-ssl.webflow.com/614b70a71b9f71c9c240c7a7/644fce359d9b266dd4f60a80_Trends%20in%20Chinas%20LLMs.pdf)
This study covers a sample of 26 large-scale pre-trained AI models developed in China
The diffusion deficit in scientific and technological power: re-assessing China’s rise by Jeffrey Ding (tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09692290.2023.2173633)
This paper argues for placing a greater weight on a state’s capacity to diffuse, or widely adopt, innovations
The U.S. Is Turning Away From Its Biggest Scientific Partner at a Precarious Time by Karen Hao and Sha Hua (wsj.com/world/china/the-u-s-is-turning-away-from-its-biggest-scientific-partner-at-a-precarious-time-9fb9adaa)
U.S. moves to cut research ties with China over security concerns threaten American progress in critical areas
Why China Has Not Caught Up Yet: Military-Technological Superiority and the Limits of Imitation, Reverse Engineering, and Cyber Espionage by Andrea Gilli and Mauro Gilli (https://direct.mit.edu/isec/article/43/3/141/12218/Why-China-Has-Not-Caught-Up-Yet-Military)
Military technology has grown so complex that it’s hard to imitate
RECOMMENDED YUA EPISODES
The Three Rules of Humane Tech (humanetech.com/podcast/the-three-rules-of-humane-tech)
A Fresh Take on Tech in China with Rui Ma and Duncan Clark (humanetech.com/podcast/44-a-fresh-take-on-tech-in-china)
Digital Democracy is Within Reach with Audrey Tang (humanetech.com/podcast/23-digital-democracy-is-within-reach)
Your Undivided Attention is produced by the Center for Humane Technology (humanetech.com/) . Follow us on Twitter: @HumaneTech_ (twitter.com/humanetech_)
In the debate over slowing down AI, we often hear the same argument against regulation. “What about China? We can’t let China get ahead.” To dig into the nuances of this argument, Tristan and Aza speak with academic researcher Jeffrey Ding and journalist Karen Hao, who take us through what’s really happening in Chinese AI development. They address China’s advantages and limitations, what risks are overblown, and what, in this multi-national competition, is at stake as we imagine the best possible future for everyone.
CORRECTION: Jeffrey Ding says the export controls on advanced chips that were established in October 2022 only apply to military end-users. The controls also impose a license requirement on the export of those advanced chips to any China-based end-user.
RECOMMENDED MEDIA
Recent Trends in China’s Large Language Model Landscape by Jeffrey Ding and Jenny W. Xiao (uploads-ssl.webflow.com/614b70a71b9f71c9c240c7a7/644fce359d9b266dd4f60a80_Trends%20in%20Chinas%20LLMs.pdf)
This study covers a sample of 26 large-scale pre-trained AI models developed in China
The diffusion deficit in scientific and technological power: re-assessing China’s rise by Jeffrey Ding (tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09692290.2023.2173633)
This paper argues for placing a greater weight on a state’s capacity to diffuse, or widely adopt, innovations
The U.S. Is Turning Away From Its Biggest Scientific Partner at a Precarious Time by Karen Hao and Sha Hua (wsj.com/world/china/the-u-s-is-turning-away-from-its-biggest-scientific-partner-at-a-precarious-time-9fb9adaa)
U.S. moves to cut research ties with China over security concerns threaten American progress in critical areas
Why China Has Not Caught Up Yet: Military-Technological Superiority and the Limits of Imitation, Reverse Engineering, and Cyber Espionage by Andrea Gilli and Mauro Gilli (https://direct.mit.edu/isec/article/43/3/141/12218/Why-China-Has-Not-Caught-Up-Yet-Military)
Military technology has grown so complex that it’s hard to imitate
RECOMMENDED YUA EPISODES
The Three Rules of Humane Tech (humanetech.com/podcast/the-three-rules-of-humane-tech)
A Fresh Take on Tech in China with Rui Ma and Duncan Clark (humanetech.com/podcast/44-a-fresh-take-on-tech-in-china)
Digital Democracy is Within Reach with Audrey Tang (humanetech.com/podcast/23-digital-democracy-is-within-reach)
Your Undivided Attention is produced by the Center for Humane Technology (humanetech.com/) . Follow us on Twitter: @HumaneTech_ (twitter.com/humanetech_)
