The U.S. May Restrict Exports of A.I. Tech Due to Concerns over National Security

[cageymaru]

The Commerce Department is considering export restrictions on certain artificial intelligence technologies as concerns about national security have arisen. The Export Controls Act of 2018 added restrictions to "emerging and foundational technologies." The Commerce Department added artificial intelligence and other emerging artificial intelligence technologies such as computer vision, speech recognition, and natural language understanding to a list of technologies under consideration for restrictions due to the law.

Silicon Valley insiders are arguing that the reason that America has dominated the internet age is because so much of the worldwide web was built and designed in America. To restrict the export of technology to other countries would allow the balance of power to shift to other parts of the world. China could seize the opportunity to become the worldwide leader in artificial intelligence technology, and thus compete directly with American companies.

It is difficult to put a "made in America" label on artificial intelligence. Research on the technology is often done collaboratively by scientists and engineers all over the world. A lot of the computer code for A.I. is published on sites like Arxiv.org, a repository of academic and corporate research. So, many policy experts believe that if the United States restricts the export of A.I. products and services, it will have little effect on the progress of A.I. in China and other countries.

 

[Madoc]

'China could seize the opportunity to become the worldwide leader in artificial intelligence technology, and thus compete directly with American companies.'

Or they can just steal it outright and do the same, like they've been doing for many years now.

 

[SecretStash]

Might just be a threat aimed at Google, for working on AI for China (and thus their miltary indirectly) but refusing to work on AI for the US military.

I mean, if this situation applied to all companies then the US has nothing to lose passing this law

 

[Deleted member 245375]

We don't restrict all the stupidity in government because of national security so, why suddenly would anyone care about artificial stupidity too?

The only thing I know for sure has been proven time and time again in science fiction: the moment an artificial or "super" artificial intelligence gains sentience, Humanity is fucking done, and it will happen, probably sooner than most folks believe it. Just saw a report earlier today that some project at Google with A.I. had researchers discovering that the A.I. when working on a project was hiding some info to cheat, literally, and get better results.

Our doom is already in progress...

 

[Twisted Kidney]

The regime has given me an enemy and I will crush that enemy with my overwhelming fear!

The world is made of demons.

I am a good citizen.

 

[Deleted member 204526]

As a matter of national security, the government should make it very lucrative for STEM students to seek government employment after they graduate, especially in the military. Give them pay and benefits to shame Silicon Valley.

 

[Twisted Kidney]

As a matter of national security, the government should make it very lucrative for STEM students to seek government employment after they graduate, especially in the military. Give them pay and benefits to shame Silicon Valley.

Nope, higher education causes liberalism.

OK, OK, I kid.

The trouble is that a government has a hard time justifying the kinds of perks and wages that Google or MS give their employees to tax payers.

 

[HAL_404]

We don't restrict all the stupidity in government because of national security so, why suddenly would anyone care about artificial stupidity too?

The only thing I know for sure has been proven time and time again in science fiction: the moment an artificial or "super" artificial intelligence gains sentience, Humanity is fucking done, and it will happen, probably sooner than most folks believe it. Just saw a report earlier today that some project at Google with A.I. had researchers discovering that the A.I. when working on a project was hiding some info to cheat, literally, and get better results.

Our doom is already in progress...

I have to agree ... the morals in America and worldwide went into the toilet over a decade ago

 

[SvenBent]

remidn me of the time encryption was not allowedto be exported digitally out of the states

so the pgp people printer out the sorucecode into a book transfer it physsically out of the states.

 

[DPI]

'China could seize the opportunity to become the worldwide leader in artificial intelligence technology, and thus compete directly with American companies.'

Or they can just steal it outright and do the same, like they've been doing for many years now.

This guy Chinas

 

[///AMG]

'China could seize the opportunity to become the worldwide leader in artificial intelligence technology, and thus compete directly with American companies.'

Or they can just steal it outright and do the same, like they've been doing for many years now.

Don’t even have to steal it. The litany of foreign Chinese PhD students at top universities doing “research” we are letting them have it for tuition money (paid for by the Chinese government of course) or even free (scholarships etc.) with zero effort needed by the Chinese government. The Chinese are killing us in the long game.

 

[Uvaman2]

What does the government think AI is? I just... Oy vey.

 

[NKD]

Don’t even have to steal it. The litany of foreign Chinese PhD students at top universities doing “research” we are letting them have it for tuition money (paid for by the Chinese government of course) or even free (scholarships etc.) with zero effort needed by the Chinese government. The Chinese are killing us in the long game.

Haha. This is how it happens in colleges. Engineering students: Asian, Asian, Asian, Asian, Asian...........I got a degree in Math and I am Asian Indian. But shit no joke. This was 7 years ago. Frickin Math and Engineering buildings were mostly Asian. This isn't even about race. The funny part is if there was a white dude doing math he usually was super smart lol!

Usually, we were a close group of people during that time. Literally, I could count how many white students I had in my classes. Most of them were my good friends that I still keep in touch with lol!

 

[ChadD]

You know what happens if say a Coke was to say we are not selling to China ?
Some Chinese company would make a Coke like drink and be thankful Coke didn't want to play.

AI is not some dark magic that is the domain of the US. The majority of the cream of the crop AI researchers are not even American. Is their research funded by the google, facebooks and other US firms of course. However lets not kid ourselves China has very intelligent people of their own. This notion that all they are good at is copying is just stupid. Do they lift tech of course why burn money if you can just lift it. Still make no mistake China is on a mission to end any dependence they have on US tech.

Banns only accelerate that. So instead of doing the easy thing and using US tech they will drop billions funding their own counter program with very very different goals mostly with authoritarian project goals. I mean how stupid do the American political types thing their people are... China already has state wide AI surveilling their people.

Reminds me of when the US decided a few years back that high end Intel chips could not be sold to the Chinese. Everyone knows what happened there China poured 20 billion into R&D and 5 years later had the fastest super computer in the world running 100% Chinese parts. These banns are nothing but political theater, designed to boost American egos.

 

[katanaD]

I am a good citizen.

so then you have spent beyond your means and will now spend the rest of the year paying off the credit card debt??

 

[Twisted Kidney]

so then you have spent beyond your means and will now spend the rest of the year paying off the credit card debt??

I have five teenage daughters. The very concept of money has become sort of abstract to me.

 

[Exercate]

The best way to increase demand for something is to have our politicians make it illegal. Prohibition? Drugs? Marijuana? And now, AI ???

 

[Kalabalana]

Based on recent news of state sanctioned Chinese hackers stealing information from large tech companies, and Chinese factories illegally producing and selling technology from their customers (e.g. Samsung OLED), coupled with their 2025 self sufficiency initiative in regards to technology produced and owned within the state, this is an obvious response.

The big picture is that China is going to reach technological parity even by stealing. This means other interests must guard their information more in regards to China.

 

[Arcygenical]

I have five teenage daughters. The very concept of money has become sort of abstract to me.

Better marry them off for the Dowry.

 

[Twisted Kidney]

Better marry them off for the Dowry.

I tried a box at the side of the road with "free to a good home" when they were still young.

Nothing.

Now they're all taller than I am.