Why Britain should reject the lure of cheap – and scary – Chinese AI
In the west the technology comes with at least some effort to provide security and a benign intent – not so from China There is much to fear from artificial intelligence developed in China and handed to businesses and governments in the west almost free of charge. Every month Chinese AI developers such as DeepSeek and Xiaomi dispatch the latest versions of their “open-weight” models that allow…
The allure of cheap Chinese AI models, despite their risks, continues to entice Western nations. Chinese developers like DeepSeek and Xiaomi provide open-weight models for free, enabling users to utilize the core software without paying for ongoing licenses. In Britain, there is a tendency to adopt low-cost Chinese products without considering their origins or how they were produced.
This mindset extends to Chinese electric vehicles (EVs), which are cheaper than other EVs in the UK and may seem like a no-brainer for consumers. However, these EVs are subsidized by Beijing, aimed at boosting exports and harming domestic car industries.
The Chinese government's growing control over its citizens through AI-powered surveillance systems poses a significant threat. While the average Chinese person can enjoy some freedoms, dissidents are at risk of being reeducated or punished. Chinese AI offers a level of control that other AI systems do not. As Ross Burley, director of the Centre for Information Resilience, notes, Chinese AI comes with extra baggage, including political censorship and potential data sharing with the Chinese state.
The UK should resist the temptation to adopt cheap Chinese AI and instead prioritize US AI models, which, while expensive, come with security measures and a benign intent. Supporting domestic and European AI suppliers is crucial to avoiding industrial hollowing and maintaining data security. The risks associated with Chinese AI far outweigh the potential benefits of diversifying AI technologies.
Written by urgent.news from Guardian Technology's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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