Open source has no door, AI large model export, China is facing challenges?
Recently, the United States plans to pass a bill to restrict the export of open-source AI large models, which has attracted widespread attention. The move is intended to prevent foreign adversaries from using U.S. AI technology for improper use, but it could also pose a challenge to China's AI development. As an AI powerhouse, China is still highly dependent on Western open-source models, and the development of local AI models may be hindered once the law comes into effect. In the face of the new situation, China needs to take effective measures to accelerate the pace of independent innovation.
The U.S. move to restrict the export of open-source AI models stems from concerns about the misuse of the technology by foreign adversaries. According to reports, the U.S. government and private sector researchers are concerned that adversaries could use AI models to launch cyberattacks, create biological and chemical weapons, and endanger national security.
Specifically, the bill would amend the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 to give the Commerce Department explicit authority to prohibit U.S. persons from working with foreign nationals to develop AI systems that pose a risk to national security. The bill also aims to ensure that future AI export regulations are not legally challenged.
This approach does make sense. It is an indisputable fact that AI technology is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, AI large models can efficiently mine massive amounts of data, generate content, and inject new impetus into scientific research and innovation. On the other hand, it can also be misused for illegal and criminal activities such as creating false information and launching cyber attacks.
The export of open-source AI models is limited, which will undoubtedly bring severe challenges to China's AI development. At present, China's AI industry is extremely dependent on Western open-source models, such as Meta's Llama series of models. Once the bill comes into effect, Chinese AI companies will have limited access to the latest algorithms and models, and the pace of innovation will slow down significantly.
In the face of difficulties, China urgently needs to increase the research and development of local AI models. Although domestic AI companies and scientific research institutions have made great progress in algorithm innovation and model training in recent years, there is still a gap between them and the international advanced level. Only by increasing investment, cultivating high-end talents, and strengthening basic research can we truly master core technologies and achieve independent control.
China should also promote openness and cooperation in the AI industry. On the one hand, it will attract more international AI talents to work in China and inject fresh blood into local AI development. On the other hand, we will carry out technical exchanges and cooperation with friendly countries to jointly promote the progress of AI technology. Only by breaking the blockade can we avoid the "silo effect" and ensure the healthy development of the AI industry.
Improving the AI governance system is also a top priority. China should learn from international experience, establish and improve AI ethics and laws and regulations, regulate AI research and development and application, prevent technology abuse, and maintain cybersecurity. Strengthen the popularization of AI education, improve the AI literacy of the whole society, and create a good environment for the long-term development of AI.
In the face of the challenge of the United States restricting the export of open-source AI models, China needs to take comprehensive measures to accelerate independent innovation, promote open cooperation, and improve the governance system to ensure the steady and long-term development of the AI industry and contribute to building a scientific and technological power.
In the face of the rapid development of the AI industry, the Chinese government attaches great importance to it and has introduced a series of policies and measures to promote the development of the local AI industry. In 2017, the State Council issued the "New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan", which clearly regarded artificial intelligence as an emerging frontier field of national key development. In 2022, the Ministry of Science and Technology and other six departments jointly issued the "Guiding Opinions on Accelerating Scenario Innovation and Promoting High-quality Economic Development with High-level Application of Artificial Intelligence" to further deploy and promote the deep integration of artificial intelligence and the real economy.
Local governments have also actively responded to the call and introduced relevant support policies. Beijing proposes that by 2025, the scale of the core industry of artificial intelligence will exceed 200 billion yuan; Shanghai plans to have a core AI industry of more than 350 billion yuan by 2025; Guangdong Province strives to achieve a core AI industry scale of more than 1 trillion yuan by 2025. Anhui, Fujian, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Chengdu and other places have also introduced policies to vigorously support the development of the local AI industry.
Driven by favorable policies, Chinese's artificial intelligence industry has developed rapidly. According to estimates, the market size of Chinese's artificial intelligence industry will reach 371.6 billion yuan in 2022 and is expected to climb to 1,537.2 billion yuan by 2027, with a compound annual growth rate of 32.8%. AI technology is accelerating its penetration in traditional industries such as manufacturing, transportation, finance, and healthcare, promoting the intelligent transformation and upgrading of industries.
China's AI development platform market also maintains rapid growth. In 2021, the revenue in this field reached 23.48 billion yuan, and it is expected to grow to 36.5 billion yuan by 2025. Segments such as computing power, data, model invocation, and deployment and maintenance all show strong demand.
However, the rapid development of the AI industry also faces many challenges and dilemmas. On the one hand, the core technology has been monopolized by foreign companies for a long time, and Chinese companies are still in a catch-up position in basic fields such as computing power and algorithms. On the other hand, the shortage of talents is becoming increasingly prominent, and high-end AI talents have become the focus of competition among enterprises. Issues such as data acquisition and privacy protection, computing power supply, and ethics also need to be solved urgently.
In the face of challenges, both the Chinese government and companies are taking active action. The government continues to increase investment in scientific research and encourage enterprises to innovate independently; Enterprises have improved their own strength by increasing R&D investment and strengthening talent training. China's AI industry will continue to maintain rapid growth, but there are still many unknowns about the road ahead, which requires the joint efforts of the whole society.
The rapid development of artificial intelligence technology has brought great changes to human society, but it has also caused a series of ethical and moral issues, which need to be paid attention to and solved by the government, enterprises and the public.
AI systems have potential algorithmic biases and risk of discrimination. Due to the subjective factors of training data and algorithm designers, AI systems may unfairly treat certain groups, which is not uncommon in scenarios such as recruitment and loan approval. Eliminating algorithm bias and ensuring the fairness and impartiality of AI systems is a major issue that needs to be solved urgently.
The development of artificial intelligence technology has also exacerbated the challenge of privacy protection. In the era of big data, personal privacy is facing unprecedented risks. By mining massive amounts of data, AI systems may leak sensitive information about individuals and even "deprive" individuals of their right to know. How to protect personal privacy while developing AI requires the government, enterprises and the public to work together.
The improper use of AI technology may also endanger the social order. For example, AI can be used to create false information, launch cyber attacks, and other illegal and criminal activities. Another example is the excessive use of technologies such as facial recognition, which may lead to the infringement of personal freedom. Strengthening the supervision of AI technology and regulating its application is an urgent task to ensure the safety and stability of society.
The development of AI technology is also likely to exacerbate employment differentiation, putting jobs at risk of being replaced. While AI may be able to create new jobs, it still requires the government and businesses to work together to provide vocational training and employment guidance for those who may be affected to avoid the escalation of social tensions.
In the face of the ethical challenges brought about by the development of artificial intelligence, the Chinese government attaches great importance to it and has successively introduced a number of policies and measures. In 2019, the National Development and Reform Commission and other eight departments jointly issued the "Several Policies for Promoting the High-quality Development of the Integrated Circuit Industry and the Software Industry in the New Era", which clearly proposed to strengthen the ethical governance of artificial intelligence. In 2023, China released the Global Artificial Intelligence Governance Initiative (GIG) during the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, which systematized China's plan for AI governance.
Chinese companies and research institutions are also taking action. Tech giants such as Baidu and Alibaba have set up AI ethics committees and formulated relevant ethical guidelines. Tsinghua University, Peking University and other universities have also set up courses related to artificial intelligence ethics to cultivate interdisciplinary talents.
The development of artificial intelligence technology has brought unprecedented opportunities to human society, but it has also given birth to a series of ethical and moral challenges. The government, enterprises and the public need to work together to ensure the healthy and orderly development of artificial intelligence, maximize technological dividends, minimize potential risks, and make artificial intelligence truly a force for the benefit of mankind.