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China willing to ‘buy’ or ‘steal’ US tech to get ahead in AI race, Congress told
🇨🇳 China /Technology

China willing to ‘buy’ or ‘steal’ US tech to get ahead in AI race, Congress told

From South China Morning Post · (6d ago) English Critical tone

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • US lawmakers and experts accuse China of seeking to acquire American AI technology through purchase or theft.
  • They warn that China's ambition to lead in AI by 2030 is a significant challenge to US dominance.
  • The hearing highlighted concerns that US immigration and research policies might hinder domestic innovation.

Capitol Hill is sounding the alarm over China's aggressive pursuit of artificial intelligence dominance, with a recent congressional hearing laying bare concerns that Beijing is employing both legitimate and illicit means to acquire cutting-edge US technology. Lawmakers and industry experts alike voiced a stark warning: China is actively seeking to "buy what they can, and steal what they cannot" to fuel its AI ambitions, posing a direct threat to American leadership in this critical field.

The pattern is clear. China is dependent on our tech stack to continue their AI development. China is willing to buy what they can, and steal what they cannot, to advance their AI ambitions,

— John MoolenaarChairman of the House Select Committee on China, opening the congressional hearing on China's AI ambitions.

The testimony underscored the intense global race for AI supremacy, a competition where the United States has historically held an edge. However, the emergence of powerful AI models from Chinese firms and Beijing's stated goal of becoming a world leader by 2030 signal a rapidly closing gap. This has prompted urgent discussions about the strategies needed to maintain America's technological advantage, including a recent US initiative focused on AI export controls.

Chinese AI companies continue to rely on American chips,

— John MoolenaarAlleging Chinese reliance on US-made semiconductors for AI development.

Central to the discussion was the critical role of 'compute' – the processing power essential for training and operating AI models. Experts emphasized that access to advanced semiconductors is paramount, with accusations that Chinese AI companies are actively working to circumvent US export controls to obtain these vital components. The hearing also touched upon the potential impact of US domestic policies, with some suggesting that current immigration and research regulations could inadvertently stifle the very innovation needed to stay ahead of China's relentless drive.

our problem has never been funding. It’s the embargo on high-end chips. So it should come as no surprise that Chinese AI firms are doing everything they can to legally and illegally acquire US chips to work around export controls.

— Founder of Chinese AI champion DeepSeekQuoted by John Moolenaar during the hearing, explaining China's chip acquisition challenges.
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Originally published by South China Morning Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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