The success of Chinaโs commercial artificial intelligence and semiconductor markets will have a direct impact on the countryโs geopolitical and military power, according to a new report.
The report, published on Feb. 6 by US think tank the Centre for a New American Security (CNAS), said that the technologies could insulate China from economic or political pressure from the US while increasing the โtechnological capabilities available to Chinaโs military and intelligence community.โ
โโฆ Chinaโs success in commercial AI and semiconductor markets brings funding, talent, and economies of scale that both reduce Chinaโs vulnerability from losing access to international markets,โ the report said.
China has set ambitious goals for the development of AI and other hi-tech industries. The country plans to move to a high-value economy through its Made in China 2025 initiative by developing its autonomous and electric vehicle, semiconductor, robotics, and aerospace sectors. The State Council, Chinaโs cabinet, has also laid out plans for the country to become a world leader in AI by 2030.
Infographic: How four tech giants dominate Chinaโs AI endeavors
According to the CNAS report, China has already shrunk the gap between Chinese and international AI and semiconductor companies. It added that the country should hold a defensible technological position in AI over the next five years as long as there are no significant shifts in US policy aimed at increasing competition.
Civil-military integration is a cornerstone of Chinaโs national AI strategy, wrote Gregory Allen, report author and adjunct senior fellow at CNASโ Technology and National Security Program, highlighting the extent of the cooperation between the private sector and the countryโs military.
Citing Chinaโs National Intelligence Law, Allen said that Chinaโs tech companies are legally required to cooperate with Chinaโs military and state security organs, in effect, giving the military access to emerging technologies developed by the private sector.
In 2018, Chinaโs central government named search giant Baidu, e-commerce company Alibaba, social media and messaging firm Tencent, voice recognition company iFlytek, and computer vision startup SenseTime the countryโs โAI champions.โ Citing Sensetime executives, Allen said that the position gives the five companies assurance that they will not be threatened by competition from state-owned enterprises.
โThe price of Sensetime and the other AI Champions being allowed to dominate these technologies is the Championsโ extensive cooperation with Chinaโs national security community,โ Allen wrote.
