The Center for Security and Emerging Technology has done it again–they have come up with break-through research on a highly sensitive U.S.-Chinese technology issue. In this case (report can be seen here). It turns out that U.S. venture capitalists are investing heavily in Chinese AI start-ups. Some 37 percent of all AI investments in China have U.S. participation, according to the report. The investments are concentrated in the early stages of building companies.
Only a tiny percentage of the investments are in overt military or public security industries, but the authors note that most AI applications are dual use. They may be designed for one perfectly normal civilian use, but then they could find other uses in the military or security sectors.
Right now, the U.S. government has no way to track these investments, much less moderate the pace. This is just incredible that as the technology rivalry intensifies, American VC’s are helping the Chinese develop AI, which is widely seen as a very powerful tool in surveillance and in military planning. Whoever dominates AI will dominate geopolitically.
It’s time for the U.S. government to get a handle on this activity–and time for American VCs to recognize that they have a responsibility to U.S. national security and technological strength.
