China will never allow any country in this world to achieve AI dominance: Victor Gao

China will not permit any nation to attain AI dominance, states Victor Gao, vice-president of the Centre for China and Globalisation. In a warning to the Penang Peace Dialogue in Malaysia, Gao criticized the U.S. for weaponising and militarising AI, integrating it into systems ranging from drones to hardware. The Centre for China and Globalisation, a Beijing-based NGO think tank, advocates for a move away from China's open-source development towards a more collaborative global approach.

Gao asserted that China's control over rare earth elements would prevent the U.S. from achieving AI for evil purposes, emphasizing China's commitment to ensuring AI is used for good. Experts at the forum emphasized the need for multilateral cooperation and international AI governance frameworks to prevent misuse of the technology for military purposes.

Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Centre for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, dismissed the U.S.'s goal of maximal AI militarisation as implausible, citing economic and military realities. Taiwanese politician Joanna Lei highlighted China's AI model Kimi K3 as a significant turning point, shifting the focus from developing the most powerful model to widespread deployment.

The Penang Peace Dialogue, an annual international forum, gathered over 200 experts to discuss peace and cooperation in a multipolar world.