Scale AI’s founder says US is at “critical moment” in fight with China for AI supremacy

The US is at a “critical moment” in its competition with China for AI supremacy. Scale AI’s founder and CEO Alexandr Wang also warned that TikTok may give the Chinese Communist Party access to additional English-language samples.

At a gathering for government leaders hosted by Scale AI’s  founder and CEO Alexandr Wang stated that the US is at a “critical moment” in its competition with China for AI supremacy.

Wang, founded Scale AI, in 2016 after he left MIT. He said that China is investing more on AI both in absolute terms and relative to its bigger defense budget. “We’re risking America falling behind,” Wang said. According to Wang’s presentation, the US Defense Department spent around $1.3 billion on the technology in 2020, compared to the People’s Liberation Army of China investing at least $1.6 billion.

Artificial intelligence, according to Wang, is a “unavoidable” technology that must be incorporated into military operations in order to compete with foreign foes. As a technological advancement that would transform international diplomacy and power, he compared AI to nuclear weapons.

Wang asserted that artificial intelligence will shape the future phase of conflict and deterrence. “The fate of our planet is in jeopardy.”

While acknowledging that the US currently has an advantage in data collection and labeling, South Dakota Republican Senator Mike Rounds cautioned that TikTok, which is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance Ltd., may give the Chinese Communist Party access to additional English-language samples for the purpose of training AI systems.

Wang said that the US must make use of the enormous amounts of data generated by a wide network of military systems, including sensors, cameras, and satellites, which may be used to train artificial intelligence. Assuring the caliber of those inputs, according to Wang, is what will “turn this hardware advantage into data advantage.”

According to the company’s website, scale AI works with clients including ChatGPT’s OpenAI Inc., chipmaker Nvidia Corp., Toyota Motor Corp., and the US government to enhance data quality and create stronger AI systems.

Alexandr Wang, founder of Scale AI, warned that the US is at a “critical moment” in its competition with China for AI supremacy. He compared AI to nuclear weapons and said it will shape the future phase of conflict and deterrence. Senator Mike Rounds cautioned that TikTok, owned by Beijing-based ByteDance Ltd., may give the Chinese Communist Party access to additional English-language samples for the purpose of training AI systems. Scale AI works with clients such as ChatGPT, Nvidia Corp., Toyota Motor Corp., and the US government to enhance data quality and create stronger AI systems.