Inside the Biden Administration's Gamble to Freeze China’s AI Future
1 min read
Summary
In October 2022, the Biden administration introduced new export controls designed to cut China off from the most advanced chips used in AI, as well as from equipment used to make advanced chips.
The restrictions were mostly justified on grounds of national security andhuman rights, but also reflected policymakers’ worries that AI was approaching a Milestone that would supercharge a country’s military and economic might.
Officials wanted to ensure that the US would reach that milestone first.
The policy had far-reaching implications; experts believed it would likely block China from ever assembling a cutting-edge chipmaking industry, and risked sparking a backlash that could harm iconic US companies like Apple.
Here we explore the context and motivation behind the US government’s move and the people who drove it.
