FBI Director Christopher Wray on Thursday said he is “deeply concerned” about the Chinese government’s artificial intelligence (AI) program, adding that it is “not constrained by the rule of law.”
Speaking at a panel session at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Wray said Beijing’s AI ambitions are “built on top of massive troves of intellectual property and sensitive data that they’ve stolen over the years.”
He said that if left unchecked, China could use advancements in AI to further its hacking operations, intellectual property theft and repression of dissidents inside the country and beyond.
Photo: AP
“That’s something we’re deeply concerned about, and I think everyone here should be deeply concerned about,” he said.
More broadly, “AI is a classic example of a technology where I have the same reaction every time. I think: ‘Wow, We can do that?’ And then I think: ‘Oh god, they can do that,’” Wray said.
Such concerns have long been voiced by US officials.
In October 2021, US counterintelligence officials issued warnings about China’s ambitions in AI as part of a renewed effort to inform business executives, academics, and local and state government officials about the risks of accepting Chinese investment or expertise in key industries.
Earlier that year, an AI commission led by Eric Schmidt, a former CEO of Google parent Alphabet Inc, urged the US to boost its AI skills to counter China, including by pursuing “AI-enabled” weapons.
A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment on Wray’s remarks.
Beijing has repeatedly accused Washington of fearmongering and attacked US intelligence for its assessments of China.
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