Ex-Google CEO says the US and China's most powerful AI systems will be heavily guarded
Former Google CEO and chairman, Eric Schmidt, predicts that in the future, powerful AI systems will be heavily guarded by governments. Schmidt believes that these systems will be so advanced that they will surpass what countries are willing to share with their citizens or competitors.
In an interview with Noema Magazine, Schmidt stated, "Eventually, in both the U.S. and China, I suspect there will be a small number of extremely powerful computers with the capability for autonomous invention that will exceed what we want to give either to our own citizens without permission or to our competitors."
He envisions these AI systems being housed in secure locations such as army bases, powered by nuclear sources, and protected by physical barriers like barbed wire and machine guns.
The Competitive AI Race Between US and China
The race to dominate the field of artificial intelligence has intensified between the United States and China. Both countries are striving to maintain their leadership positions in this critical technology sector.
For example, the US has tightened restrictions on technology exports to China, limiting the sales of AI chips produced by companies like Nvidia. On the other hand, China is working to reduce its dependence on US-made chips by encouraging domestic tech giants to use locally-made AI chips.
According to TPW Advisory founder, Jay Pelosky, this trend is leading to a "two tech stack divide," where the US and China are increasingly isolating their tech ecosystems from each other.
While Schmidt's predictions may seem extreme, the competitive nature of the US-China relationship in the AI sector suggests that his vision could become a reality in the future.
Representatives for Schmidt did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.
