The AI China Report #3
Your executive summary on the geopolitics of AI & China 🇨🇳 - Issue #3
Welcome back to The AI China Report. This week we’re covering how governments are using deepfake technology to attack political opponents and spread misinformation, the latest in semiconductor chip restrictions, and announcements from a handful of military agencies that are developing new AI tech for combat.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“AI can serve as an amplifier of digital repression, making censorship, surveillance, and the creation and spread of disinformation easier, faster, cheaper, and more effective”
- Freedom on The Net Report by Freedom House
ONE BIG STORY: GOVERNMENTS USING AI FOR DEEPFAKES
A new report from Freedom House, a D.C.-based nonprofit political advocacy group, found that at least 16 countries over the last year have used deepfake technology to “sow doubt, smear opponents, or influence public debate.”
Earlier this year, during national protests in Pakistan, Former Prime Minister Imran Khan (who is now imprisoned) posted a video on X to rally his supporters. That video used deepfake technology to show an image of a protestor standing in front of riot police - this image was generated by AI.
Former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis have both used deepfake technology to attack each other in political ads as the Republican primary competition has heated up this year. Trump ran a fake Twitter Spaces event that showed DeSantis in a conversation with George Soros, Adolph Hitler, and…. The Devil. The DeSantis team fought back using AI to create fake images of Trump hugging and kissing Dr. Anthony Fauci.
China has been hiring private companies to deploy AI-generated propaganda that mimics newscasters, they even created an AI-generated news division called “Wolf News” that shares video clips of human characters presented as newscasters. Venezuela has employed similar tactics using U.S.-based AI avatar company Synthesia.
All of this has an important consequence: people no longer know what is real and what is deepfaked. The lines of reality are becoming blurred. This allows political actors to call out video and audio recordings as deepfakes, even if they are genuine, further spreading doubt over all content. The technology is leading us to a world where you can no longer trust what you see, read, or hear on the internet as genuine content - even if it looks or sounds like a real well-known political figure.
Aside from using AI to create false narratives, it was found that at least 22 countries had processes in place for social media companies to use AI to identify and remove dissident political speech from the internet. The report found that a record 41 governments, including the U.S. and European countries, blocked websites with content that should be protected under free expression standards within international human rights law.
Deepfakes will only get better as AI technology advances. Without proper laws and regulations, it will become harder to decipher what is real and what is fake on the internet. How we handle this issue will have lasting implications for humans everywhere.
NEWS ROUNDUP
The Pentagon is developing AI tools to help U.S. forces in the Indo-Pacific. The Department of Defense stated that they already have over 800 different AI projects in development, some of which have already seen success in helping Ukrainian armed forces. (Japan Times)
Facing challenges in fleet readiness due to maintenance backlogs, the US Navy seeks to integrate AI and autonomous systems to enhance efficiency in its shipyards. Key proposals include AI-based scheduling tools, autonomous 3D scanning, and labor-efficient non-destructive inspections, all of which aim to increase productivity, streamline inspections, and enhance shipyard safety, while potentially partnering with the commercial sector for mutual benefits. (Business Insider)
The National Security Agency (NSA) is establishing an artificial intelligence security center to bolster the security of AI within U.S. defense and intelligence systems. The center will operate under the NSA’s Cybersecurity Collaboration Center, collaborating with private sector and global partners to counter threats primarily from China and Russia. (AP)
Palantir Technologies Inc. secured a $250 million contract with the US Defense Department to delve into research and development of AI and machine learning technologies. This three-year agreement highlights Palantir's strengthening ties with the U.S. government and its rising role in the domain of AI and defense. Originating from prior collaborations since 2018 with the Army Research Lab, the current deal propels the company's mandate in AI R&D. (Bloomberg)
China is raising $41 billion dollars for it’s homegrown semiconductor industry to reduce reliance on U.S. and Taiwan-made chips needed to develop more powerful AI technologies. (Reuters)
OpenAI is reportedly exploring creating its own AI chips, exploring potential acquisition targets and a formal partnership with U.S. chipmaker Nvidia that would make it easier for the company to have access to expensive chips which are increasingly hard to come by. (SCMP)
The Biden administration informed Beijing about its intention to update rules limiting exports of AI chips and chipmaking tools to China in early October, aiming to stabilize U.S.-China relations. This move, aligning with new Dutch and Japanese regulations, aims to further restrict access to chipmaking tools, close loopholes in AI chip export restrictions, and strengthen measures initiated last year to prevent U.S. technology from bolstering the Chinese military. (Reuters)
DATA TO USE
Know someone who should be in the know about AI and China? Share The AI China Brief 🇨🇳 with your friends and colleagues!
Have feedback on how we can improve? Want to discuss this issue’s content? We’d love to hear from you in comments below!