February 09, 2018
Tech entanglement—China, the United States, and artificial intelligence
In Washington and Beijing’s complex bilateral relationship, artificial intelligence has emerged as a new domain of both cooperation and competition. Even as China and the United States increasingly compete in artificial intelligence on the national level, the two countries’ business and technology sectors are deeply entangled, competing and collaborating by turn.
Although this degree of engagement can be mutually beneficial, US enterprises must also remain cognizant of the agenda and priorities of the Chinese Communist Party, which do not always accord with core US interests and values. In certain instances, ties between US tech firms and Chinese entities, some with military connections, have sparked concerns in the United States—notably, within the Pentagon—that such engagement could result in the transfer of dual-use technologies, advance China’s military modernization, or aid in Beijing’s construction of an ever more pervasive and sophisticated surveillance state, potentially enabling and exacerbating human rights abuses. If unaware or indifferent, US enterprises risk being exploited by the Party—or becoming complicit in Beijing’s AI-enabled efforts to advance the state’s surveillance capabilities and military modernization efforts.
Read the full article at The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.
More from CNAS
-
Superpowers and AGI
Reports
Executive Summary Artificial intelligence (AI) systems continue to progress at a steady pace. This trend has fed forecasts that artificial general intelligence (AGI)—generally...
By Jacob Stokes
-
Video
Technology & National Security
UN, Red Cross Call for Rules on Fully Autonomous WeaponsPaul Scharre, executive vice president at the Center for a New American Security, joins CNN to discuss the advent of fully autonomous weapons, the dangers of handing over targ...
By Paul Scharre
-
Commentary
Technology & National Security
Beneath the Surface: Overlooked Cyber Security ThreatsThis article was originally published in War on the Rocks. Cyber security remains a persistent concern for public and private sector organizations alike. Given the potential i...
By Caleb Withers
-
Commentary
Technology & National Security
Why Empowering Private Companies to Fight Cybercrime Had to HappenThere is no question that the government needs to adapt to the reality of the evolving civilianization of the security environment. It should do so boldly, quickly, but carefu...
By Gary Corn
