China Close to US in AI Competitiveness, Trump Official Cautions

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AI Sign at WAIC 2023 — An Artificial Intelligence sign displayed at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, China, on July 6, 2023. — Reuters

According to David Sacks, a former Trump administration official and current White House adviser on AI and cryptocurrency, China is only three to six months behind the United States in artificial intelligence development, as reported by Reuters.

During his remarks at the AWS Summit in Washington on Tuesday, Sacks emphasized that the gap between the two nations is not as large as many believe.

“China is not years and years behind us in AI. They’re perhaps just three to six months behind,” he remarked, describing the competition as “very close.”

Sacks cautioned that excessive regulation of AI in the United States could enable China to close the gap or potentially surpass American advancements.

His comments come amidst rising bipartisan concerns in Washington regarding China’s technological aspirations, especially in critical fields like AI, quantum computing, and military applications.

While the US has introduced a series of export controls and investment restrictions aimed at China’s semiconductor and AI sectors, experts warn that Beijing is swiftly enhancing its domestic capabilities through government-led initiatives.