China heading for global dominance in key emerging technologies
China is likely to dominate artificial intelligence, synthetic biology and genetics within a decade, former Pentagon software chief says
11 October 2021 - 11:24
byGuy Faulconbridge
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London — China has won the artificial intelligence (AI) battle with the US and is heading towards global dominance because of its technological advances, the Pentagon’s former software chief told the Financial Times.
China, the world’s second largest economy, is likely to dominate many of the key emerging technologies, particularly AI , synthetic biology and genetics within a decade or so, according to Western intelligence assessments.
Nicolas Chaillan, the Pentagon’s first chief software officer who resigned in protest against the slow pace of technological transformation in the US military, said the failure to respond was putting the US at risk.
“We have no competing fighting chance against China in 15 to 20 years. Right now, it’s already a done deal; it is already over in my opinion,” he told the newspaper. “Whether it takes a war or not is kind of anecdotal.”
China was set to dominate the future of the world, controlling everything from media narratives to geopolitics, he said.
Chaillan blamed sluggish innovation, the reluctance of US companies such as Google to work with the state on AI and extensive ethical debates over the technology.
Google was not immediately available for comment outside business hours.
Chinese companies, Chaillan said, were obliged to work with their government and were making “massive investment” in AI without regard to ethics.
He said US cyber defences in some government departments were at “kindergarten level”.
Chaillan announced his resignation at the beginning of September, saying military officials were repeatedly put in charge of cyber initiatives for which they lacked experience.
A spokesperson for the department of the air force said Frank Kendall, secretary of the air force, had discussed with Chaillan his recommendations for the department’s future software development after his resignation and thanked him for his contributions, the FT said.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
China heading for global dominance in key emerging technologies
China is likely to dominate artificial intelligence, synthetic biology and genetics within a decade, former Pentagon software chief says
London — China has won the artificial intelligence (AI) battle with the US and is heading towards global dominance because of its technological advances, the Pentagon’s former software chief told the Financial Times.
China, the world’s second largest economy, is likely to dominate many of the key emerging technologies, particularly AI , synthetic biology and genetics within a decade or so, according to Western intelligence assessments.
Nicolas Chaillan, the Pentagon’s first chief software officer who resigned in protest against the slow pace of technological transformation in the US military, said the failure to respond was putting the US at risk.
“We have no competing fighting chance against China in 15 to 20 years. Right now, it’s already a done deal; it is already over in my opinion,” he told the newspaper. “Whether it takes a war or not is kind of anecdotal.”
China was set to dominate the future of the world, controlling everything from media narratives to geopolitics, he said.
Chaillan blamed sluggish innovation, the reluctance of US companies such as Google to work with the state on AI and extensive ethical debates over the technology.
Google was not immediately available for comment outside business hours.
Chinese companies, Chaillan said, were obliged to work with their government and were making “massive investment” in AI without regard to ethics.
He said US cyber defences in some government departments were at “kindergarten level”.
Chaillan announced his resignation at the beginning of September, saying military officials were repeatedly put in charge of cyber initiatives for which they lacked experience.
A spokesperson for the department of the air force said Frank Kendall, secretary of the air force, had discussed with Chaillan his recommendations for the department’s future software development after his resignation and thanked him for his contributions, the FT said.
Reuters
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