Understanding Technological Diffusion in Global Competition

On this episode, Jeffrey Ding joins me to discuss diffusion of AI versus AI innovation, how US-China dynamics shape AI’s global trajectory, and whether there is an AI arms race between the two powers. We explore Chinese attitudes toward AI safety, the level of concentration of AI development, and lessons from historical technology diffusion. Jeffrey also shares insights from translating Chinese AI writings and the potential of automating translations to bridge knowledge gaps.  

You can learn more about Jeffrey’s work at: https://jeffreyjding.github.io  

Timestamps:  

00:00:00 Preview and introduction  

00:01:36 A US-China AI arms race?  

00:10:58 Attitudes to AI safety in China  

00:17:53 Diffusion of AI  

00:25:13 Innovation without diffusion  

00:34:29 AI development concentration  

00:41:40 Learning from the history of technology  

00:47:48 Translating Chinese AI writings  

00:55:36 Automating translation of AI writings