China Is A TechnoDictatorship. The U.S. Must Ban China's Access To AI | Opinion
China's ambition to become an AI superpower by 2030 is well documented. The country has invested heavily in AI research and development. But there are growing concerns about how China is using artificial intelligence, particularly facial recognition, to create a super-surveillance police state it is using against Muslim Uyghurs and other minority groups.
There have been reports of mass surveillance of Uighurs and other minority groups, using cameras and artificial intelligence systems to track their movements and monitor their activities. In some cases, these systems arrest and imprison people based on the data they collect, with little or no trial.
Indeed, Orwell himself could not imagine such a perfect repressive system. The Chinese government's use of artificial intelligence and facial recognition technology is a clear abuse of power and a violation of human rights.
Even more worrying is that China's use of artificial intelligence and facial recognition technology is not limited to its borders. The state exports this technical infrastructure to autocratic countries around the world, helping them become technodictators. CCTV technology from China is exported to countries like Venezuela, Ecuador, Zimbabwe and Uganda. This is particularly worrisome because it allows these regimes to further tighten their grip on power and stifle dissent, as in China.
Exporting artificial intelligence and facial recognition technology to autocratic countries is just one example of how China is increasingly threatening the free world. It also uses its economic power to oppress smaller countries and engages in cyber-espionage and theft of intellectual property. These actions undermine the principles of the rule of law and free and fair trade that underpin the global economy, and threaten the stability and security of the international system.
Given these developments, the US must act to protect its interests and those of its allies. In particular, the United States must prevent China from acquiring certain military technologies that would allow it to develop AI and other similar technologies.
Although the measure may seem radical, it is necessary given China's aggressive behavior and history of using technology for nefarious purposes, both within and outside its borders.
China's latest "spyball" may seem like small talk, but Beijing's intervention points to a deeper intention to expand China's technological supremacy in espionage. Consider TikTok, the most widely used social media platform in the Western world, created by the Chinese company ByteDance. The company collects a large amount of data, which it says is stored only on servers in the US and Singapore, but according to some verified leaks, we know that engineers in China themselves have often accessed this data. Beijing is never far away.
ChatGPT, the newest chatbot to conquer the Internet, will also eventually become a weapon of the Chinese Communist Party. GPT is a powerful artificial intelligence language model capable of generating human text and has many potential applications, including automation and content creation.
Allowing China access to GPT and other advanced AI technologies would give the country a huge advantage and increase its ability to spread disinformation and manipulate public opinion.
It is imperative that the United States and its allies take measures to prevent China from acquiring this technology.
China's ambitions to become an AI superpower must be approached with care and caution. The country has made significant progress in this area, and it is unacceptable to use artificial intelligence and facial recognition technology to create super-state surveillance and export these technologies to autocratic countries.
China is currently the world's biggest technological dictatorship and wants to emulate that model globally. The United States and its allies must act to protect their interests and prevent China from using this technology to hold the free world hostage.
Kuzat Altay is an American Uighur entrepreneur, technology entrepreneur and human rights activist. He is the founder and CEO of Cydeo and a graduate of Harvard Business School. He was previously president of the American Uygur Association.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.
