Inside China's AI Strategy: Innovation, Diffusion, and US Relations (with Jeffrey Ding)

On this episode, Jeffrey Ding joins me to discuss diffusion of AI versus AI innovation, how US-China dynamics shape AI’s global trajectory, and whether there is an AI arms race between the two powers. We explore Chinese attitudes toward AI safety, the level of concentration of AI development, and lessons from historical technology diffusion. Jeffrey also shares insights from translating Chinese AI writings and the potential of automating translations to bridge knowledge gaps.
You can learn more about Jeffrey’s work at: jeffreyjding.github.io
Timestamps:
00:00:00 Preview and introduction
00:01:36 A US-China AI arms race?
00:10:58 Attitudes to AI safety in China
00:17:53 Diffusion of AI
00:25:13 Innovation without diffusion
00:34:29 AI development concentration
00:41:40 Learning from the history of technology
00:47:48 Translating Chinese AI writings
00:55:36 Automating translation of AI writings