From the New World
Jeffrey Ding: How Can We Beat China? Build AI People Want
Nov 18, 2024
Jeffrey Ding, an author and expert on technology's role in global power dynamics, dives into the crucial topic of AI development and diffusion. He contrasts the US and China’s approaches to AI skill formation, arguing for a broader recognition of everyday engineers. The conversation touches on historical technological implications on geopolitics and warns against the 'Fortress America' mindset, which inflates threats from China. Ding advocates for collaborative innovation policies that embrace incremental advancements to maintain competitive edge in the tech landscape.
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Quick takeaways
- Effective technology diffusion, rather than mere innovation, is essential for enhancing a country's economic productivity and global competitiveness.
- Historical contexts, like the U.S. response to the Soviet Union's Sputnik launch, highlight the importance of integrating technology across industries.
Deep dives
The Shift from Innovation to Diffusion
The conventional belief in technological advances often emphasizes innovation, highlighting heroic inventors and groundbreaking discoveries. However, the podcast argues that diffusion, the spread and adoption of technology, plays a crucial role in determining economic productivity. For general purpose technologies (GPTs), such as electricity and AI, it's not merely the invention that matters but how effectively a country can diffuse these technologies across industries. The real power lies in widening the base of engineering talent and ensuring effective integration of technologies into the economy.
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