[Text/Observer Network Wang Yi] In recent years, despite the US government's attempts to suppress China's technological development by all means, China has still made significant progress in scientific and technological innovation, and its influence in emerging technology fields is also rapidly expanding.

The Atlantic Council, an American think tank that has seen this trend, recently warned in a report that to maintain a competitive edge over China in key emerging technologies, the United States must not be complacent and should engage with the Global South, otherwise it will fall behind China in three areas: geopolitics, economy, and norms.

The Atlantic Council is an international relations think tank based in the United States, founded in 1961, with its headquarters located in Washington. In September 2021, the center established the Global China Center, dedicated to Chinese studies.

In the report, the Atlantic Council stated that the United States and China are competing for global technological dominance, but policymakers in Washington tend to focus on which country has a technological advantage and what it means for their military strength and national economy, often neglecting the spread of emerging technologies worldwide, which is crucial. The Global South, with 85% of the world's population and nearly 40% of global GDP, "will ultimately become key participants in shaping global technological standards."

The think tank pointed out that China is actively developing diplomatic relations with the Global South through sponsoring academic exchanges, training programs, and media cooperation forums, promoting China's geopolitical strategic interests; China's increasing share in these growing emerging markets strengthens the competitiveness of China's economy in the global economy; coupled with China's initiatives on emerging technologies at some Global South forums, giving China more话语权 in setting new technology standards.

The report used artificial intelligence as an example, stating that the U.S. currently holds a slight lead over China in the field of artificial intelligence, with American-developed AI models still ranking overall higher than those developed in other regions. The most advanced chips and semiconductor manufacturing equipment are still produced in the U.S. and its allies, but this does not guarantee that the U.S. will continue to outperform China in the future.

The report noted that advanced model performance is just one aspect of AI competition. In many middle- and low-income countries, various factors drive competition: cost, ease of deployment, and the applicability of technology to local conditions. Chinese multinational companies have long been adept at customizing products and services according to local needs, leveraging their efficient and low-cost supply chains as well as government support, often surpassing Western competitors in the Global South.

The analysis suggests that many competitive advantages in the AI field stem from information and communication technology. China’s information and communication technology services provided in emerging markets emphasize local market demand and tend to offer vertically integrated services. For example, Transsion, which holds 40% of the African smartphone market, is tailored specifically for the African market. Many models cost less than $100, pre-installed with popular social media apps in Africa, and batteries can last several days without charging.

"Due to these factors, China's influence in the field of information and communication technology in the Global South has significantly increased over the past two decades," the report continued, adding that now, China can leverage this advantage to gain extremely high competitiveness in the field of artificial intelligence.

Change chart of the number of overseas artificial intelligence-related projects of Chinese enterprises from 2008 to 2021 - American think tank Atlantic Council

Data from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) shows that China's overseas AI activities have grown sharply in the 2010s. In 2019 alone, Chinese tech companies established 229 partnerships overseas. The Atlantic Council's report stated that this indicates that China's information and communication technology has brought dividends to China's AI competition in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia.

The report believes that many countries see potential benefits greater than risks in China's information and communication technology and AI systems. More importantly, for many countries, besides the AI services provided by China's information and communication technology companies, there are few other choices.

The report also noted that compared to Western competitors, China's AI has cost, energy efficiency, and speed advantages that are better suited to emerging markets. The monthly fee for the American OpenAI Research Center (OpenAI) ChatGPT is $20, while Chinese AI service providers can offer lower-cost and more efficient solutions.

The report added that China also has the largest manufacturing industry in the world. Chinese AI companies can access more relevant manufacturing data, which can be used to train high-quality and cost-effective AI models.

"These competitive advantages may have a profound impact on the competition in the field of artificial intelligence between China, the United States, and Europe, especially in emerging markets," the report wrote.

The Atlantic Council predicted that although China faces some challenges in technological development, it is now evenly matched with the United States and its allies in various indicators of national technological strength. China's global citation rate for scientific papers is also constantly growing, and China has many top research institutions and is one of the world's industrial powers...

"Therefore, China is more capable than ever before of surpassing the United States and its allies in a series of next-generation industries," the report warned.

This article is an exclusive contribution from the Observer Network and cannot be reproduced without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7495593641403105807/

Disclaimer: This article represents the views of the author only. You are welcome to express your attitude by clicking the [Like/Dislike] buttons below.