The second session of the Virtual Routes Colloquium Autumn/Winter series hosts Linda van der Horst from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Leiden University.

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Abstract

Access to high-quality structured data is a critical aspect of the AI ‘triad’ (algorithms, data and compute) that determine the power and effectiveness of a machine learning system. China, while actively pursuing frontier AI capabilities, is also advancing AI diffusion as its competitive edge  both to advance those capabilities and to use AI to strengthen its industrial sectors. It aims to create a constant feedback loop (‘data flywheel’) in which the widespread adoption of (low-cost) AI across all sectors generates real-world data can in turn be used to advance AI models themselves. For this purpose, China has embarked on an unparalleled whole-of-government approach to build a nationwide data architecture and it is pursuing a data industrial policy. China’s policy developments have not gone unnoticed in Washington DC, and experts are already calling for a US response. This article seeks to interrogate the geopolitical implications of China’s data industrial policy. First of all, the article investigates the impact on US-China relations through the lens of techno-economic statecraft. Secondly, the article intends to understand the implications for the agency of third countries, developed and developing countries. 

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