Regarding generative AI, Chinese tech companies with the capability to build advanced models are encountering a multifaceted dilemma.
Chinese tech companies rely almost entirely on underlying AI models from the United States.
China lags behind the United States in generative AI by at least a year and may need many years to catch up and surpass America's Big Tech.
Even as the United States has tried to slow China's tech computing advancements by limiting the sale of microchips and curbing investments, the US government has not restricted allowing America's Big Tech from openly releasing open-source AI software globally to encourage its adoption.
"When Chinese companies are leveraging American open-source technologies to play catch-up, the questions become very complicated — wrapped up in issues of national security and geopolitics," according to Oren Etzioni, a University of Washington professor specializing in AI.
This challenge is further compounded by evolving regulations in China that shape how AI models are trained and deployed. As the Chinese tech industry grapples with these complexities, leaders find themselves at a crossroads, balancing innovation with regulatory compliance.
For one, the inherent unpredictability of generative AI models poses a significant hurdle for Chinese tech giants.
The fear of unintended consequences, where a chatbot might express inappropriate or problematic content, looms large, like saying how horrible the Chinese Communist Party is, for example. In a New York Times article, Andrew Ng, a computer science professor at Stanford and former Baidu executive, acknowledges the difficulty in eliminating these issues, highlighting the intricate nature of managing the expressions of AI systems.
Chinese tech giants are also navigating a regulatory landscape that is continually evolving. New regulations impose constraints on the data sets for training AI models, dictate acceptable applications, and require government registration of AI models.
The pressure for quick returns on AI investments in China has led to a shift in focus.
Chinese tech investors prioritize easily executable applications over more ambitious projects centered on fundamental research. Notably, up to 50 percent of China's AI investment is in computer vision technology, crucial for surveillance purposes, rather than laying the groundwork for generative AI models.
As Chinese tech companies grapple with the complexities of generative AI, finding the right balance between innovation and Chinese Communist Party compliance will dampen their ability to scale in this environment.
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc
