China’s state-run Global Times says country should formulate global governance over A.I.
As artificial intelligence becomes more sophisticated, the race for who will control the global rules governing it has become more apparent as China’s state-run Global Times demanded it should formulate global governance over A.I.
But it not just A.I people should be concerned about, it is who will have control over it, one of the reasons why China’s keen interest in being the first to the table is worrying.
China has risen to the top of its game when creating highly concerning totalitarian surveillance mechanisms.
You only have to look at the country banning its citizens with ‘bad social credit’ from using public transport like trains and plane, restricting their travel.
Couple that with highly sophisticated A.I and you have an Orwellian wet dream that even 1984 couldn’t have even imagined.
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The Global Times boasts of its facial recognition technology at Chinese airports that aided in snaring a suspect accused of murdering his mother but avoided the mentioning the inescapable surveillance mousetraps that can affect everyone, not just criminals.
Not long after the airport in Chongqing installed a facial recognition system, police caught a fugitive named Wu Xieyu who had previously escaped authorities for three years and was found in minutes.
For this, The Global Times argues its case for having the leading role in formulating “AI governance,” creating a blueprint for a worldwide code of ethics and template for other countries.
But unsurprisingly, the paper admitted its legal protections for personal information were not in place, another reason why its case is highly questionable.
As we’ve seen with the likes of Facebook and other platforms, the problem with internet governance is the excessive collection and abuse of personal data, transparency of algorithms, and the implementation of a third-party supervision system.
We already know there are huge issues with fairness and neutrality of search engines and anti-monopoly issues regarding the internet, especially with the political right and conservatives being censored.
The key here is to understand The defining characteristics of AI, which isn’t necessarily living, thinking machines, but rather something based speed and autonomy.
High officials in the US military are already aware of China’s threat.
In March, A top United States General warned that search giant Google is closely working with China and ‘indirectly benefiting the Chinese military’ as a result.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Marine General Joseph Dunford, slammed the search giant during Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.
“We watch with great concern when industry partners work in China knowing that there is that indirect benefit,” he said.
“Frankly, “indirect” maybe not a full characterization of the way it really is, it is more of a direct benefit to the Chinese military.”
President Donald Trump already made moves to prohibit US telecom firms from using equipment produced by telecom companies that pose a “national security risk,” possibly aimed at China’s Huawei earlier this month.
The bill will invoke the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, permitting the president jurisdiction over interstate commerce in case of an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to the “national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States,” according to the officials.
So, should China have governance over AI?
The question should be answered when one fully understands China’s threat.