AI experts warn U.S. military: China has caught up to America in key areas of tech race

by admin Thursday, February 29, 2024 10:32 am

AI experts warn U.S. military: China has caught up to America in key areas of tech race

Gait recognition is just one part of China's major push to develop data-driven artificial intelligence surveillance. Artificial intelligence specialists warned the Defense Department on Thursday that China has caught up in the AI arms race and has even pulled ahead of America in some areas. The AI experts, who are working closely with the Pentagon, cautioned those attending a government-organized symposium on AI against overestimating America’s advantage in its high-tech competition with China. (Associated Press/File)
Gait recognition is just one part … more >
By Ryan Lovelace
The Washington Times
Thursday, February 22, 2024
A version of this story appeared in the daily Threat Status newsletter from The Washington Times. Click here to receive Threat Status delivered directly to your inbox each weekday.

Artificial intelligence specialists warned the Defense Department on Thursday that China has caught up in the AI arms race and has even pulled ahead of America in some areas.

The AI experts, who are working closely with the Pentagon, cautioned those attending a government-organized symposium on AI against overestimating America’s advantage in its high-tech competition with China.

You Might Also Like
Puppy gets returned for 11th time to the same shelter, then staff realizes what’s going on
Puppy gets returned for 11th time to the same shelter, then staff realizes what’s going on
Paid | loansocieties.com
Andrew Moore, a former Google executive advising U.S. Central Command on AI, said he’s seen China surpass America in several areas. He also said he respects the seriousness of the communist competitors’ work in the tech world.

“There are two application areas where they have outperformed hyperscalers in the United States. I’m not going to say where they are right now, what they are right now,” Mr. Moore said at the symposium, which was attended by defense and intelligence officers, tech companies, and other high-level stakeholders.

Hyperscalers are the Big Tech companies with computing power capable of meeting large demands from customers, such as Amazon Web Services and Mr. Moore’s former outfit, Google Cloud.

Large language models, or powerful algorithms, were a hot topic of conversation at the symposium, organized by the Defense Department’s Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office. But Mr. Moore said he was more worried about the Chinese military investing in other powerful tools.

He said he would rank large language models fourth on his list of concerns. He said there are three other areas in which he expects China to push forward, though he did not identify them.

Alexandr Wang, CEO of Scale AI, which is partnering with the Pentagon on testing AI models, said the Chinese Communist Party is making rapid advancements to catch up on large language models and the resulting generative AI tools.

After missing the generative AI opportunity at the outset, China has aggressively pursued the technology in the last two years, according to Mr. Wang.

He pointed to a new AI model developed by a Chinese company run by Kai-Fu Lee, former president of Google China, as the best-in-class open-source model of its size.

“Still the best frontier models are being built in the United States by companies like Google and OpenAI but I think we need to treat them as very meaningfully caught up on the technology side,” Mr. Wang said at the symposium. “I don’t think they’ll surpass us on the technology, but they are caught up.”

Mr. Wang said the U.S. could fall behind if it fails to adequately invest in critical AI areas and if the U.S. does not build the right evaluation frameworks for responsible AI deployment.

Mr. Wang’s Scale AI just scored an undisclosed sum of taxpayer cash from the Pentagon to test and evaluate AI models. The entrepreneur’s team is planning to build benchmark tests for the department to apply to large language models working on massive data streams.

To win the AI race, Mr. Moore said the U.S. needs to out-compete its communist rivals on a wider range of tools than those exclusively involving large language models.

“We have got to get good at using advanced technology, whether it’s called AI or not, for automation, within the U.S. military and intelligence and with our Western allies,” he said. “That’s our goal. That’s China’s goal, to do the same for themselves.”

Mr. Moore is building a new AI startup in Pittsburgh named Lovelace AI, which intends to support missions in national security and disaster relief.

Editor’s note: The author of this article has no connection to the company Lovelace AI, which takes its name from Ada Lovelace, the 19th-century mathematician and trailblazer for the computing industry.

• Ryan Lovelace can be reached at rlovelace@washingtontimes.com.

Please read our comment policy before commenting.

You Might Also Like
Recommended by
Girl finds strange eggs under her bed – when expert sees it, he turns pale
Girl finds strange eggs under her bed – when expert sees it, he turns pale
Paid | loansocieties.com
Affordable solar roof tiles are the future (see prices)
Affordable solar roof tiles are the future (see prices)
Paid | Solar Roof Shingles I Search Ads
Birds refuse to leave plane alone – when pilots realise why they instantly land
Birds refuse to leave plane alone – when pilots realise why they instantly land
Paid | loansocieties.com
Senior Stairlifts 2024 (See Prices)
Senior Stairlifts 2024 (See Prices)
Paid | Stairlift | Search Ads
Chole bhature for your next meal?
Chole bhature for your next meal?
You will thank us a bunch. Get your ingredients in 10 minutes.
Paid | Swiggy Instamart
TOP OF THE TIMES
Follow Us
SEE MORE VIDEOS

FRONT PAGE PODCAST

SPONSORED CONTENT
QUESTION OF THE DAY
Do you approve of the job Mike Johnson is doing as Speaker of the House?
Question of the Day
YES
NO

View results
NEWSLETTERS
Breaking News
Daily
Jennifer Harper
Weekly
Bill Gertz
Today’s Opinion
Front Page Podcast
Charles Hurt
Cheryl Chumley
Higher Ground
On Background
Threat Status

Email Address

FIND US ON FACEBOOK
The Washington Times
Opinion
Local
Sports
FIND US ON X
The Washington Times
Opinion
Local
Sports
All site contents © Copyright 2024 The Washington Times, LLC3600 New York Avenue NE | Washington, DC 20002 | 202-636-3000