Whenever a new technology is introduced in the world, several knock-offs of the same quickly make their way into the market. We’re all aware of the Chinese clone iPhones that are released alongside genuine iPhones every year. I still haven’t figured out who buys the knock-off iPhones but surely there is a market for them out there too as they’re mass-produced every year. While shady Chinese tech manufacturers were infamous for producing cheaper counterfeit hardware products, the country’s mainstream tech giants are working to replicate OpenAI’s ChatGPT!
AI race hits China
Chinese tech giants over the past week have announced that they’re working on ChatGPT-like products. This will mark China’s entry into the artificial intelligence race sparked by the popular chatbot. It is important to note that Beijing heavily censors its internet thus Chinese tech players will be implementing AI only in application-specific scenarios. An all-encompassing AI chatbot like ChatGPT cannot be deployed in China due to its heavy internet censorship. As of now, companies like Alibaba, NetEase, and Baidu are reportedly working on AI applications.
ChatGPT is currently making waves around the world with its user base crossing 100 million just two months after its launch. To the unversed, ChatGPT is an AI that allows people to type in questions and receive answers on a vast range of topics. However, a similar version of ChatGPT cannot be implemented in China as the country has heavy control over its internet. China is known to block and censor internet content that does not sit well with Beijing, YouTube has been banned in the country since 2009.
The concern that ChatGPT will answer questions on China’s sensitive topics worries Beijing authorities. As a result, while ChatGPT is not officially blocked in the country, OpenAI does not allow users to sign up on it altogether.
It is no secret that Chinese regulators have put intense pressure on tech giants in the country and introduced new regulations over the past two years. As a result, Chinese tech firms have had to adhere to the regulatory restrictions of the country and work around them in order to introduce a Chat-GPT-like service. With Microsoft, Google, and now Chinese firms stepping into the AI race, it is not an understatement to say that we’re witnessing the birth of the AI revolution.
The adoption of AI has been growing across the globe at a rapid scale. Right now, many countries have a stake in the AI revolution. The current exciting developments in the AI field are sweeping the globe off its feet and influencing all businesses around the world. AI enables face recognition, corporate development, self-driving vehicles, and better online outcomes that influence the decision of many if not every business out there.
Reportedly, the global AI market will be valued at a staggering $360bn by 2028, growing at an annual rate of 33.6%. The use of AI can be seen across a number of industries be it the transportation, manufacturing, finance, and even education sectors. Due to this extensive influence of AI on multiple sectors, many countries have now jumped in to invest heavily in AI research and development. The reason behind this heavy investment is to sustain long-term growth and the protection of national security. There is simply no denying that AI will develop to the point in the future where it will directly influence our lives (Hopefully not like an episode from Black Mirror!) AI will play a huge role in the corporate environment in the near future thus it is not a surprise that many countries are now deeply invested in the technology. It is time to have a look at all the countries currently making a big splash in the AI race –
China
I am sure you’re not surprised to see China on this list to any degree! China has long been an aspirational world leader in artificial intelligence. According to China’s own State Council, it will become the global leader in AI by 2030 having a reported market capitalization of $150 billion. Another thing to note here is that the country has published more deep-learning research papers than any other country from around the world. But, China’s high population is also a factor responsible for its growth in the AI sector. The most significant factor for AI’s growth in China is its internet-using population which amounts up to a massive 75 million which generates a gigantic amount of digital data to handle and for AI algorithms to learn from (Data Privacy is a myth, my friends!) Another factor here for China’s lead in the AI sector is its government’s transparent ambitions and objectives with the technology. Baidu, Tencent, and Alibaba are only some of the Chinese AI companies that are leading the AI sector.
USA
When it comes to conquering AI technology, the United States has been one of the leaders. The country has a well-established tech culture with some of the prominent tech giants based out of it. Whereas, the country has also profited from $10 billion in complete venture financing which is directed toward artificial intelligence. The USA has been a well-known player when it comes to offering technological advancements in manufacturing robots to the world. It also plays a crucial role in the manufacturing and industrial industries. Be it Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Facebook, and IBM, these are all big parts of the development of the AI industry and are based out of the USA. The United States currently has all the components required to dominate the field of AI and robotics thus it makes number two on our list.
Canada
With some of the world’s most talented brains and creators of AI technology, Canada has paved its way to becoming an AI leader. The Canadian government is heavily invested in AI and plates a significant role in its advancement in the country. It was back in march 2017 when the Canadian government announced a total investment of $125 million in the field of AI. Canada mainly focuses on two AI components like Machine Learning which is based out of Montreal and Toronto and Reinforcement learning which is based out of Alberta. Waterloo is Canada’s big AI hub having over 90 firms dedicated to AI development.
Germany
Germany ranks number sixth globally when it comes to the number of AI research articles published. The country is known for its precision and technological advancements. Be it self-driving cars, quantum computing, or robots, Germany has placed itself as a leader in AI development. Germany, similar to China has the ambition to become the global leader in AI. For this reason, two of its top technology universities and its top exporting state are currently collaborating with corporations like Porsche, Bosch, and Daimler to develop rich artificial intelligence.
India
Yes, India is also a pioneer when it comes to artificial intelligence. Our rapidly growing nation is currently going through a massive digital transformation thanks to the cost-effective internet provided here. This digital revolution has a direct impact on the growth of AI in the country. The government of India may not have granted any funding or allocation to the AI sector but the country is still covering a massive ground in AI thanks to various initiatives taken by individual companies.
The Cold War space race, which has always involved countries like Russia and America, now have a new competitor. China is looking forward to building a spacecraft spanning nearly a kilometre in length.
Bill Nelson, President Biden’s new NASA administrator, has cast China as “a very aggressive competitor” that has big ambitions in Space and is challenging America’s leadership.
“Watch the Chinese,” he recently warned.
According to a report by Global Times, China has announced one of the most ambitious projects in human history – to build a kilometre long starship, which is at least ten times the length of the International Space Station (ISS).
As soon as the news came out, it took the Chinese internet by storm, especially among the space sci-fi fans. However, the experts say that there will be many challenges for China along the way, apart from the massive demand for manpower and resources, considering the size and complexity of the spacecraft.
Notably, this comes at a time when China has been achieving multiple milestones in space science. Earlier this year, China became the second nation to successfully land a rover on Mars and the first to land a mission that consisted of an orbiter, lander and rover. Two years ago, China became the first nation to land a robotic mission on the far side of the moon.
According to a project outline published by the Chinese Foundation, the spacecraft elements will be built on Earth and then launched individually to orbit to be assembled in Space. The spacecraft will be “a major strategic aerospace equipment for the future use of space resources, exploration of the mysteries of the universe and staying in long-term.”
During China’s sixth annual National Space Day, there were already speculations that the country is interested in pursuing a starship-like spacecraft and spaceplanes. Recently, China also announced plans to conduct a crewed mission to Mars by 2023 as a long-term plan to build a permanent base there.
Whatever the long-term goal might be, it is clear that with the pace that China is moving with its space plans, it can leave NASA and Roscosmos behind to become the world’s leading power in Space.
