At a recent event, Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang urged attendees to support America in the emerging “AI war.” However, his plea met with mixed reactions.
Wang argued that AI would reshape national security, drawing parallels to the atomic bomb’s development in Los Alamos. He expressed concern about China’s potential to “leapfrog” Western military might through AI.
His comments echoed a growing sentiment among defense tech startups and venture capitalists, who advocate for increased autonomy and proliferation of AI weapons. They cite China’s hypothetical deployment of autonomous AI weapons, contrasting it with the US’s human-in-the-loop approach.
Beyond military implications, Wang emphasized the importance of choosing between Chinese and American AI models for language learning (LLM). He suggested that US models promote free speech, while Chinese models reflect Communist Party values.
Wang’s concerns aligned with recent discoveries of Chinese censorshipbaked into popular LLM models. However, the announcement of Scale AI’s partnership with the Qatar government raised questions about government influence in AI.
Scale AI, known for employing offshore contract workers to train models, has a substantial presence in the US defense sector. While Wang’s pro-American rhetoric resonates with defense customers, it also highlights the public’s discomfort with both US and Chinese AI dominance.
Original source: Read the full article on TechCrunch
