China risks falling further behind the US in AI if it does not step up basic research, academic says

Advances in AI have slowed in past two years, meaning real progress can only be made by breakthroughs, Peking University professor says. — SCMP

China risks a catastrophic loss in competitive advantage to the US in artificial intelligence (AI) if it does not invest more in basic research, according to Peking University professor Wang Liwei.

The next technology breakthrough is more likely to happen in America than in China because the latter trails in basic academic research, said Wang, who specialises in machine perception and is a member of the China Computer Federation’s AI and pattern recognition committee. With a tech war raging, China could find itself cut off from the latest advancements in the technology, he said.