China Emerges as AI 'Good Guy' Amid US 'Wild West' Approach, MPs Told
In a striking shift of perception, China is now being described as the "good guy" in artificial intelligence development, contrasting sharply with the United States under Donald Trump's administration, which is pursuing AI in a dangerous "wild west" manner. This assessment was delivered to the House of Commons business and trade committee by Prof Dame Wendy Hall, a former UN and UK government adviser on AI.
Global Governance vs Profit-Driven Race
Hall, who served on the UN's AI advisory board and co-authored an AI review for Theresa May's government, highlighted that China is actively backing multinational efforts to establish global governance for AI. In contrast, she noted that the US has created a competitive race dominated by profit-hungry companies that rely on hype and minimal regulation. "China is doing some amazing work in AI, and in fact, at the moment they're acting as the good guys because the US is totally against any regulation and talk about global governance," Hall stated. She attributed this stance to a "Maga" mentality focused on winning at all costs.
Chinese AI Strengths and Collaboration Challenges
Chinese AI researchers are praised for their efficiency, innovation, and willingness to release models on an open-source basis. However, Hall expressed concerns that it has become increasingly difficult for UK experts to collaborate with China on research, to the point where she feels her academic freedom is being limited. This issue is compounded by Beijing's requirement for Chinese AI companies to cooperate with state intelligence work, raising national security risks. Recent warnings from the UK government-funded Centre for Emerging Technology and Security have highlighted threats from adversaries like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea collaborating on AI.
US-China AI Competition and UK Vulnerabilities
Despite Trump's claims in January that the US leads China by a "tremendous amount" in the AI race, experts like Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, assessed that China is only about six months behind. China's DeepSeek is expected to release a new model soon, following its January 2025 version that challenged US rivals with a powerful chatbot. Meanwhile, MPs were warned that the UK's heavy reliance on US tech giants such as Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Amazon risks repeating scandals like the Post Office Horizon debacle. Neil Lawrence, Cambridge University's DeepMind professor of machine learning, criticized the framing of multibillion-pound AI deals with US companies as being in citizens' interests, warning that centrally deploying technology without public engagement could lead to similar failures.
Infrastructure Delays and Power Shortages
The committee also heard about significant infrastructure challenges. OpenAI has put its UK datacentre project, "Stargate UK," on hold, and a government plan for a sovereign AI datacentre is behind schedule, with the site still used as a scaffolding yard. Tech industry representatives cited a lack of power as a key issue, with Microsoft reporting that a planned datacentre in northern England won't be operational until at least 2033 due to grid shortages. Kao Data noted waits of up to 15 years for firm grid offers, underscoring the UK's struggles in building necessary AI infrastructure.
Outsourcing Concerns and National Interests
Labour MP Dan Aldridge questioned whether the UK has effectively outsourced AI model development to private billionaires with no loyalty to the British state or consumers. Hall and Lawrence agreed, with Lawrence, who has worked for Microsoft and Amazon, stating that these corporations are "clearly not aligned with the interests of our citizens." This highlights broader concerns about the UK's lack of confidence in its own people, businesses, and universities, as noted by Lawrence, who warned against constantly looking across the Atlantic for solutions.
