China’s AI strategy all about serving the state

In the competitive arena of global technology, China’s ambitions in artificial intelligence stand out – not just for their scale but for their distinct strategic approach.

In 2017, the Chinese Communist Party declared its intent to surpass the United States to become the world leader in AI by 2030. This plan, however, is less about pioneering novel technologies and more about strategically adapting existing ones to serve state economic, political and social objectives.

While both China and the United States are actively pursuing AI technologies, their approaches differ significantly. The US has traditionally led in fundamental AI research and innovation, with institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford and tech giants such as Google and Microsoft driving breakthroughs in machine learning. This innovation-first approach contrasts with China’s focus on adaptation and application of existing technologies for specific state objectives.

The United States’ AI development is primarily driven by a decentralized network of academic institutions, private companies and government agencies, often with competing interests and a focus on commercial applications. In contrast, China’s AI strategy is more centralized and state-directed, with a clear focus on supporting government initiatives such as social control and economic planning.

AI for ideological control

At the heart of China’s AI strategy lies its effort to embed the technology in the machinery of the government’s ideological control. A prime example is the Xue Xi chatbot developed by researchers at China’s top-ranked university, Tsinghua University.

Unlike Western AI models designed to foster open-ended dialogue, Xue Xi was trained in part on “Xi