On the global technology playing field, China's artificial intelligence ambitions stand out not only for their scale but also for their unique strategic approach.
In 2017, the Chinese Communist Party announced its intention to overtake the United States to become the global leader in AI by 2030. However, rather than pioneering new technologies, this plan focuses on strategically adapting existing technologies to serve the nation's economic, political, and social goals.
China and the United States are both actively pursuing AI technologies, but their approaches are very different. The United States has traditionally led fundamental AI research and innovation, with institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University, and tech giants such as Google and Microsoft, driving breakthroughs in machine learning. This innovation-first approach contrasts with China's focus on adapting and applying existing technologies for specific national goals.
US AI development is driven primarily by a decentralized network of academic institutions, private companies, and government agencies with often competing interests and a focus on commercial applications. In contrast, China's AI strategy is more centralized and state-driven, with a clear focus on supporting government initiatives such as social control and economic planning.
AI for ideological control
Central to China's AI strategy is an effort to incorporate AI technology into the government's ideological control apparatus, with a prime example being Xue Xi, a chatbot developed by researchers at China's top university, Tsinghua University.
Unlike Western AI models designed to promote free and open dialogue, Xue Xi was trained in part on “Xi Jinping Thought” to indoctrinate users (who will likely initially be party members within the government) with Communist Party ideology. China's large-scale language modeling chatbots go one step further than the likes of ChatGPT in terms of political censorship.
This isn't just an isolated effort, but part of a broader trend: AI-driven surveillance systems like facial recognition technology being rolled out across China's Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region allow the government to exert tight control over the region's Muslim Uighur minority population.
Photo: Finn Meyer-Cook / X Screenshots
These technologies are not groundbreaking; they build on existing innovations but are finely tuned to serve the Communist Party's efforts to maintain social order and stifle dissent. China's AI prowess comes not from creating the latest technology but from mastering and deploying it in ways that align with China's ideological imperatives.
AI for Economic Management
China's AI strategy is also deeply intertwined with the country's economic ambitions: Facing slowing growth, the Communist Party sees technology as a vital tool to pull the country out of its economic slowdown.
This is particularly evident in sectors such as manufacturing and logistics, where AI is being used to increase efficiency and maintain China's competitive position in global supply chains. For example, companies such as online retail giant Alibaba have developed an AI-powered logistics platform that optimizes delivery routes and manages warehousing operations, ensuring that China remains the world's factory.
Moreover, China's social credit system, which assesses the civic and financial behavior of its citizens, represents a major strategic initiative in which AI will play an increasingly important role.
China's system is designed to monitor and influence the behavior of its citizens on a massive scale, and while AI has not yet been fully implemented throughout the social credit system, it is being integrated to track and analyze vast amounts of data in real time, including financial transactions, online interactions, and social relationships.
This data is then used to assign scores that affect many aspects of our lives, from loan approvals to travel permits. As AI becomes increasingly integrated into our systems, I believe it will become more likely that government surveillance will be prioritized over individual autonomy, further increasing state control and ensuring societal compliance.
Strategic Exports
On the international stage, China is exporting AI technology to expand its influence, especially in developing countries.
Through the Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese tech giants such as Huawei and ZTE are providing AI-driven surveillance systems to governments in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. While these systems are often positioned as tools to improve public safety, they are part of a larger strategy to export the Chinese model of governance.
In Zimbabwe, for example, Chinese companies are helping to roll out a nationwide facial recognition system under the guise of fighting crime, but political activists there fear the technology is being used to surveil political opponents and activists, echoing China's use.
By exporting AI technologies tightly integrated with state control, China is not only expanding its market share, but also promoting its authoritarian model as a viable alternative to Western democracies.
AI for Strategic Military Advantage
China's military ambitions are also closely tied to its AI strategy. The People's Liberation Army is investing heavily in AI-powered autonomous systems, including drones and robotic platforms. While these technologies are not necessarily the most cutting-edge in the world, China is adapting them to fit its strategic needs.
China is developing AI systems to aid naval operations in the geopolitically tense South China Sea, where it has deployed autonomous submarines and surveillance drones to monitor and potentially disrupt foreign military activity in the area.
This strategic move to use AI for military purposes highlights China's focus on using existing technology to achieve specific geopolitical objectives, rather than pursuing innovation for its own sake. China and the United States are in a race to develop and deploy AI-enabled military drones.
A calculated strategy
China’s approach to AI is not one of simple innovation but a strategy of calculated adaptation and application. By mastering the use of existing technologies and aligning them with national goals, China is not only strengthening its domestic control but also reshaping global power dynamics.
Through ideological indoctrination, economic control, strategic exports, and military advances, China’s AI strategy is a powerful reminder that in the realm of technology, how we use the tools can be just as transformative as the tools themselves.
Shaoyu Yuan is a Dean's Fellow in the Department of International Relations at Rutgers University-Newark.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
