Financial Times: AI Arms Race

With algorithms increasingly controlling large systems, China and the United States compete to lead in big-data advances expected to contribute to prowess in technology, finance and national security. Leaders in the industry have access to advanced algorithms, specialized computing hardware and streams of reliable data. Startups in both nations develop technologies around facial recognition, trend analysis and other tasks. “Machine learning systems that can find patterns by analysing large data sets are at the cutting edge of today’s artificial intelligence,” report Louise Lucas and Richard Waters for Financial Times. “For some industries, deep learning – the most advanced form of the technology – has the potential to create value equivalent to as much as 9 per cent of a company’s revenues, according a report in April from McKinsey Global Institute.” The United States can no longer take its technology expertise for granted, but US immigration policies are blocking tech firms from hiring the top talent, so companies like Google and Microsoft are opening research centers in China. China has advantages in the race to control big data including few regulations and a large population online with less direct control over privacy. – YaleGlobal