The AI race is getting serious on the global stage and it's time to pick a side

Global leaders have entered the AI race. Last week, the US President Donald Trump announced the US AI Action plan. He described it as, “An industrial revolution, an information revolution, and a renaissance—all at once.” A few days later China proposed a framework to govern AI development. What these superpowers have said and plan about AI is important for all of us who will be affected by this technology.

The US plan proposed the “cutting regulations to spur AI innovation and adoption, speeding up the buildout of AI data centers, exporting AI “full technology stacks” to US allies and partners, and ridding AI systems of what the White House calls “ideological bias”. The plan makes it clear that the US will use AI to achieve its political goals. If the plan gets implemented it seems what gets said by AI will matter a lot. The plan has great focus on AI ideological bias.

On the other hand, China’s proposal suggests that it’s concerned about fragmentation in AI governance. More importantly, China is keen to develop an AI environment that moves away from AI dominance by just a few countries. To that effect it proposes that its AI development tool should be shared with others.

Knowing about the AI approaches of both these super powers is important for South Africa. Going forward it will be impossible for South Africa to be non-aligned (in theory). The situation is forcing South Africa to choose a friend.

China is planning to build an AI foundation that will enable countries in the South to be independent and not dependent on China. On the other hand, the US is building an AI foundation that will maintain the status quo that will mean global tech leadership by the US. If South Africa chooses to adopt AI platforms from the US it will have to also accept that it will be an AI slave. The China promise, however, seems to be an option that could allow South Africa to maintain its sovereignty.

We are at a point where we all need to make up our mind about AI tools that we use. It’s becoming clear that AI tools are not neutral tools. Most of them are aligned with their countries of origin. Understanding these developments should assist all in making informed decisions. Adopting AI is not just about adopting a tool that solves a problem. An AI tool that we will adopt will also inform how we live. We all need to choose wisely very fast. We need to always remember that for now the newly released AI blueprint from the US is aimed at vastly expanding the  US AI exports to allies in a bid to maintain the American edge over China in the critical technology.

According to a US Think Tank, the US AI Action Plan’s strongest message is that the United States should meet, not curb, global demand for AI. To achieve this, the plan suggests a novel and ambitious approach: full-stack AI export packages through industry consortia. On the other hand, China wants AI to be openly shared and for all countries and companies to have equal rights to use it. The sooner nations choose their AI partners the sooner they master their AI destiny.

Wesley Diphoko is a Technology Analys and the Editor-In-Chief of FastCompany (SA) magazine.

*** The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of Independent Media or IOL.

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