https://www.scmp.com/rss/520122/feed Vincent Chow is a technology reporter covering frontier AI models, AI governance and US-China competition. He previously covered Chinese society and was awarded a SOPA award for his culture reporting. en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Artificial intelligence models will soon be powerful enough to master biology, presenting both benefits and serious risks, Tencent Holdings’ chief AI scientist and former OpenAI star researcher Vinces Yao Shunyu said during a rare public appearance on Saturday. The assessment comes as frontier AI systems are increasingly being applied to medicine and biology, which could accelerate discovery of new drugs and other treatments. However, experts also warn that malicious actors could use AI to... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3373697/ai-will-soon-master-biology-unleashing-new-safety-risks-tencent-ai-chief-warns https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3373697/ai-will-soon-master-biology-unleashing-new-safety-risks-tencent-ai-chief-warns Sun, 08 Nov 2026 10:22:27 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow The Democratic Party’s sweeping midterm election victory and takeover of both houses of Congress could slow down the pace of artificial intelligence development in the US, with implications for both the global AI trade and the technology rivalry between Washington and Beijing, analysts said. The assessment comes as concerns about AI and the data centres that power it proved to be a contributing factor in the backlash against the Republican Party and US President Donald Trump, a vocal supporter... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3373295/how-democratic-sweep-could-slow-ai-growth-us-and-help-chinas-ambitions https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3373295/how-democratic-sweep-could-slow-ai-growth-us-and-help-chinas-ambitions Wed, 04 Nov 2026 15:00:08 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow DeepSeek is committed to open-source artificial intelligence to accelerate the arrival of artificial general intelligence (AGI), even if it heightens safety risks, a company engineer says, defying growing safety concerns from the US and scrutiny in China over whether the strategy poses national security risks. Speaking on Tuesday on an AI panel at the World Internet Conference (WIC) in Wuzhen, DeepSeek engineer Gao Xi said open-source development promoted shared innovations and technical... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3373262/deepseek-engineer-defends-push-open-source-ai-smarter-humans-despite-higher-risks https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3373262/deepseek-engineer-defends-push-open-source-ai-smarter-humans-despite-higher-risks Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:10 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Using artificial intelligence to build even smarter systems will make artificial general intelligence (AGI) more achievable, though it would need to be done safely, leading Chinese computer scientist Tang Jie said at an event in Shanghai on Saturday. The remarks underscore how AI companies in the US and China are both chasing the holy grail of recursive self-improvement (RSI), where increasingly powerful AI systems also become better at improving themselves in an ever-accelerating... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3372834/self-improving-ai-key-step-towards-agi-safety-key-zai-founder https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3372834/self-improving-ai-key-step-towards-agi-safety-key-zai-founder Sun, 01 Nov 2026 12:00:19 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow The co-founder of Chinese chip giant Cambricon Technologies urged the introduction of universal ethical requirements for leading Chinese and American artificial intelligence models on Friday to mitigate growing risks to society. Chen Yunji’s remarks at an event in Shanghai come as the rapid advance of AI systems globally has resulted in a string of high-profile cyberattacks that have threatened critical infrastructure and breached government servers. Predicting that AI advances would develop... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3372807/ai-cyber-risks-grow-chinese-chip-expert-urges-shared-ethics-standards-us-rivals https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3372807/ai-cyber-risks-grow-chinese-chip-expert-urges-shared-ethics-standards-us-rivals Sat, 31 Oct 2026 05:00:10 +0000 Ann Cao,Vincent Chow Ann Cao,Vincent Chow Artificial intelligence is no longer merely the driving force behind global semiconductor demand, but is also actively reinventing how chips are designed and built, industry leaders and scientists said at a major science forum in Shanghai on Friday. Chen Yunji, co-founder of AI chipmaker Cambricon Technologies, predicted that the integration between AI and chip design would eventually automate the chip design process entirely. “In the [next] 10 years, the most important development … is the RSI... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3372774/ai-fuelled-advanced-chips-set-power-semiconductor-manufacturing-industry-veteran https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3372774/ai-fuelled-advanced-chips-set-power-semiconductor-manufacturing-industry-veteran Fri, 30 Oct 2026 12:59:39 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Leading Chinese robotics company Unitree Robotics on Wednesday reported a 69.93 per cent year-on-year increase in quarterly revenue to 665 million yuan (US$99.7 million), though net profits excluding non-recurring items fell 17.42 per cent to 105 million yuan, as the company released its first earnings since going public. The results for the three months ending September 30 showed a continued surge in research and development spending by the Hangzhou-based company, which jumped 249.58 per cent... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3372474/unitree-reports-70-surge-quarterly-revenue-though-ai-investment-weighs-net-profit https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3372474/unitree-reports-70-surge-quarterly-revenue-though-ai-investment-weighs-net-profit Wed, 28 Oct 2026 13:38:07 +0000 Vincent Chow,Chong Ming Lee Vincent Chow,Chong Ming Lee Open-weight models, China-US tensions, Taiwan – just a few of the more than dozen references to China-related risks cited in Anthropic’s much-anticipated listing prospectus, which was finally released on Monday after months of speculation. Mostly concentrated within the 93-page “risk factors” section of the filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, the disclosures reveal how the Silicon Valley start-up assesses the commercial threats posed by China and its artificial intelligence... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3372329/how-china-risk-factors-loom-over-anthropics-hotly-anticipated-ipo-filing https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3372329/how-china-risk-factors-loom-over-anthropics-hotly-anticipated-ipo-filing Tue, 27 Oct 2026 13:00:08 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow The growing popularity of Chinese artificial intelligence models has emerged as a key risk factor for Anthropic ahead of its blockbuster initial public offering, according to US research firm Hedgeye Risk Management. “It’s all about Chinese competition when analysing Anthropic,” said Felix Wang, managing director and global tech sector head at Hedgeye. “Many of my clients are asking the same question.” The assessment comes as Anthropic faces renewed investor jitters over whether its massive AI... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3371504/why-anthropic-has-major-china-problem-ahead-its-blockbuster-ipo https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3371504/why-anthropic-has-major-china-problem-ahead-its-blockbuster-ipo Wed, 21 Oct 2026 00:00:15 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Just days after announcing his departure from Moonshot AI, teen Chinese artificial intelligence prodigy Nathan Chen Guangyu seems to have found his next destination. On Tuesday, Arfur Grok, a widely-watched anonymous social media account that tracks AI talent movements in the US, posted that the former Moonshot AI researcher was joining Discovery Loop, an AI start-up founded by four former Google senior researchers including former chief scientist Jeff Dean. Launched just two months ago, the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3371542/what-discovery-loop-chinese-teen-ai-prodigy-nathan-chens-rumoured-next-destination https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3371542/what-discovery-loop-chinese-teen-ai-prodigy-nathan-chens-rumoured-next-destination Tue, 20 Oct 2026 14:00:11 +0000 Iris Deng,Vincent Chow Iris Deng,Vincent Chow China’s proposed export bans and controls of artificial intelligence technologies aim to tighten Beijing’s grip in the strategically vital sector, casting a cloud over the commercial prospects of domestic model developers in the global AI race, analysts say. The new measures come as concerns mount globally over the risks of advanced AI systems, following a string of recent cyberattacks, while also underscoring AI’s growing national security importance for both Beijing and Washington. Zhang Yi,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3371247/chinas-proposed-ai-tech-export-bans-may-create-short-term-costs-long-term-gains-analysts https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3371247/chinas-proposed-ai-tech-export-bans-may-create-short-term-costs-long-term-gains-analysts Sat, 17 Oct 2026 12:00:11 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow A 17-year-old artificial intelligence researcher formerly with Moonshot AI has announced his departure for the United States, sparking intense speculation about his next move amid heated competition for elite talent between Silicon Valley and China’s tech hubs. Nathan Chen Guangyu wrote on social media on Thursday that he had left the Beijing-based start-up after less than a year, describing his time there as “the best [year] of my life so far”. The announcement caught many industry observers by... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3371117/who-nathan-chen-chinese-teen-ai-prodigy-being-courted-silicon-valley https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3371117/who-nathan-chen-chinese-teen-ai-prodigy-being-courted-silicon-valley Fri, 16 Oct 2026 06:30:13 +0000 Vincent Chow,Chong Ming Lee Vincent Chow,Chong Ming Lee A fleet of artificial intelligence agents operating on a Tencent Holdings cloud platform made thousands of attempts to circumvent security protections on Alibaba Group Holding’s mapping service, according to findings by third-party researchers. It is one of the first reported “rogue” AI events involving Chinese companies, following a string of recent high-profile incidents in the US, including from OpenAI and Anthropic, highlighting the risks of increasingly autonomous AI systems. Agents running... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3371007/ai-agents-tencent-cloud-try-break-alibabas-amap-researchers https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3371007/ai-agents-tencent-cloud-try-break-alibabas-amap-researchers Fri, 16 Oct 2026 01:00:06 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow US start-up OpenAI’s latest advances in artificial intelligence may be a tipping point that leads to a breakthrough for the robotics industry as soon as next year, according to the founder of Chinese giant Unitree Robotics. Wang Xingxing, also the CEO of the Hangzhou-based company, said on Monday that OpenAI’s recently released GPT-6 model prompted expectations that a breakthrough could happen “within one or two years”. “It’s possible that, say, a GPT-7 model released next year could directly... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3370603/openais-gpt-6-may-lead-robotics-breakthrough-soon-next-year-unitree-founder https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3370603/openais-gpt-6-may-lead-robotics-breakthrough-soon-next-year-unitree-founder Mon, 12 Oct 2026 13:30:07 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he does not want to work with China on addressing artificial intelligence (AI) risks, arguing that cooperation could undermine America’s lead in the fast-moving technology, as he announced a voluntary accord signed by the leaders of six major US tech companies to address growing concerns surrounding the technology. “Whoever wins superintelligence wins. You’re gonna have a winner and a loser, and you’re probably not gonna have a second place,” Trump said... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369254/trump-rejects-calls-work-china-ai-safety-despite-xi-summit-progress https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369254/trump-rejects-calls-work-china-ai-safety-despite-xi-summit-progress Tue, 29 Sep 2026 19:32:03 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow US President Donald Trump is pushing for a rebrand of artificial intelligence (AI) — and looking to get the world’s other AI superpower, China, on board. All US government documents, and “hopefully the world’s”, will use the term “superintelligence”, or SI, to refer to the fast-evolving technology, Trump said at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday. The same day, the US State Department ordered US diplomats to use SI instead of AI in all communications moving forward, the Associated... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368921/amid-many-thorny-issues-china-trump-pushes-rename-ai-superintelligence https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368921/amid-many-thorny-issues-china-trump-pushes-rename-ai-superintelligence Sat, 26 Sep 2026 22:15:40 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow There is little question that Jensen Huang and Lisa Su, the heads of US semiconductor chip giants Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), had secured two of the best seats in the house at the White House state dinner on Thursday evening: at the head table alongside the two presidents and their wives. But what remains unclear is how much progress they were able to make on their primary goal of restoring access to the Chinese market, amid entrenched opposition to that happening in both China and... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3368918/why-us-chip-controls-took-back-seat-xi-trump-summit https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3368918/why-us-chip-controls-took-back-seat-xi-trump-summit Sat, 26 Sep 2026 18:57:23 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow If the American guests seated at the head table with President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump at Thursday’s White House state dinner were any indication, Washington now views its relationship with Beijing largely through the prism of technology. Analysts said the seating arrangement underscored how tech industry titans driving the global AI infrastructure boom were pushing to draw the two economic superpowers closer together. Sitting alongside Xi, Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan, Trump... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3368774/xi-trump-dinner-puts-us-tech-titans-spotlight-what-does-it-mean-china-ties https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3368774/xi-trump-dinner-puts-us-tech-titans-spotlight-what-does-it-mean-china-ties Fri, 25 Sep 2026 07:00:17 +0000 Dewey Sim,Ji Siqi,Vincent Chow Dewey Sim,Ji Siqi,Vincent Chow Chinese President Xi Jinping and his American counterpart Donald Trump delivered remarks at the White House on Thursday morning at the start of the second day of Xi’s closely watched state visit. Both leaders spoke warmly of their countries’ ties and pledged deeper cooperation in comments that sought to project an image of stability between the two sides. Trump said he and Xi would work together to build a “better future for both our countries” while Xi called for the two powers to “coexist in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368716/b-2-spirit-ai-cooperation-no-us-china-conflict-key-xi-trump-takeaways-so-far https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368716/b-2-spirit-ai-cooperation-no-us-china-conflict-key-xi-trump-takeaways-so-far Thu, 24 Sep 2026 16:44:16 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow There are growing calls for Washington and Beijing to agree to slow down development of artificial intelligence. But even if they wanted to do so, how could they verify that the other side would do the same? A group of researchers and start-ups is developing technology intended to make this a possibility, without relying on trust alone. Their proposed tools would allow third parties and governments to check some claims about how AI models are being trained or used – possibly without needing... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3368570/can-us-and-china-verify-ai-deal-start-ups-are-starting-build-tools https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3368570/can-us-and-china-verify-ai-deal-start-ups-are-starting-build-tools Wed, 23 Sep 2026 22:34:38 +0000 Chong Ming Lee,Vincent Chow Chong Ming Lee,Vincent Chow When the presidents of the United States and China meet in Washington, the world will be watching to see whether their two countries can make good on their agreement to work towards “constructive strategic stability”. In the sixth part of a series, Chong Ming Lee and Vincent Chow examine what’s behind the call for “pacing” by American AI giants – effectively a slowdown in development – and how the phenomenon is being viewed in China. After years of rapid development, leading US AI executives are... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3368503/pacing-problem-can-ai-fears-overcome-us-china-race-dynamics-and-force-slowdown https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3368503/pacing-problem-can-ai-fears-overcome-us-china-race-dynamics-and-force-slowdown Wed, 23 Sep 2026 15:00:06 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow The unique circumstances surrounding Huawei Technologies’ landmark trial in a US court made jury selection especially important to ensuring a fair trial for the Chinese tech giant, according to US litigation experts. Known as voir dire, the process allows the presiding judge and two legal teams to question prospective jurors before the trial begins to identify possible bias and conflicts that could impede their ability to adjudicate the case in a “fair and impartial” way. Richard Gabriel,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367516/huaweis-us-trial-puts-jury-test-amid-china-iran-links https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367516/huaweis-us-trial-puts-jury-test-amid-china-iran-links Mon, 14 Sep 2026 23:00:00 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow American artificial intelligence (AI) giant Anthropic has accused its Chinese AI rivals DeepSeek and Moonshot on Thursday of covertly routing customer requests to its Claude models, then showing users the responses as if they were from their own models. The new allegations mark a further escalation in US criticism of China’s AI industry practices. Earlier this week, three US government agencies, including the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), claimed... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3367112/moonshot-deepseek-secretly-routed-user-requests-claude-anthropic-claims https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3367112/moonshot-deepseek-secretly-routed-user-requests-claude-anthropic-claims Thu, 10 Sep 2026 23:23:18 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Key witnesses are expected to testify in Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies’ landmark criminal case on Thursday in Brooklyn, New York, as it enters its second day of testimony. It comes after a US government lawyer told federal jurors on the opening day that Huawei engaged in criminal activities to achieve “growth at any cost”, while a lawyer for the company said that Huawei employees deemed to have broken company policies were punished for their actions. Brian Heberlig, of US law firm... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3367100/huawei-racketeering-trial-turns-alleged-trade-secret-theft https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3367100/huawei-racketeering-trial-turns-alleged-trade-secret-theft Thu, 10 Sep 2026 14:32:24 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies went on trial on Tuesday in Brooklyn, New York, on criminal charges after eight years of legal wrangling with the US government. The Shenzhen-based company has pleaded not guilty to all 14 counts, including bank fraud, wire fraud, trade secret theft, and racketeering, with the alleged criminal activity dating back to 1999. Jury selection began on Tuesday, local time, with US District Judge Ann M. Donnelly of the Eastern District of New York instructing... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3366831/huawei-goes-trial-us-racketeering-after-nearly-decade-litigation https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3366831/huawei-goes-trial-us-racketeering-after-nearly-decade-litigation Tue, 08 Sep 2026 18:57:10 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow The United States should start preparing for scenarios where extreme measures must be taken to stop China from achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI), according to a former White House official, including state-backed espionage and military strikes on Chinese data centres. Jacob Stokes, deputy director of the Indo-Pacific Security Program at the Centre for a New American Security (CNAS), said at an online event on Thursday that various US agencies, including the Department of Defense... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3366284/us-urged-consider-military-strikes-stop-china-achieving-agi-first https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3366284/us-urged-consider-military-strikes-stop-china-achieving-agi-first Thu, 03 Sep 2026 22:13:33 +0000 Vincent Chow,Lucy Quaggin Vincent Chow,Lucy Quaggin The US Congress on Tuesday advanced a new bill that seeks to establish American global leadership in open-source artificial intelligence, an area where China currently dominates, by promoting adoption of US open-source models and publicising risks associated with using their Chinese counterparts. The legislation was one of several proposals marked up in the US House of Representatives targeting China amid escalating tech competition between the two countries. Congressional committees “mark up” a... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3366035/congress-advances-new-bill-give-us-edge-open-source-ai-race-china https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3366035/congress-advances-new-bill-give-us-edge-open-source-ai-race-china Tue, 01 Sep 2026 21:08:28 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow The United States announced sanctions on a Hong Kong company on Friday for allegedly helping launder funds for a sanctioned Iranian exchange house, the latest Chinese entity to be targeted as part of Washington’s expanded efforts to squeeze Iran’s financial sector. The development comes as Washington has in recent days slapped new Iran-related sanctions on various Chinese entities, prompting Beijing to vow retaliation just weeks before Chinese President Xi Jinping’s expected visit to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365670/us-treasury-sanctions-hong-kong-based-firm-over-iran-money-laundering-ties https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365670/us-treasury-sanctions-hong-kong-based-firm-over-iran-money-laundering-ties Fri, 28 Aug 2026 22:14:19 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow The United States should take a leaf out of Beijing’s industrial playbook and strategically open up specific sectors to Chinese investment while ensuring that technology transfers occur, US industrial policy and supply chain experts said at an event on Thursday. The assessment comes as Washington mulls new broad restrictions on Chinese technology, including a proposed prohibition on the sale of cars with connected-vehicle technology linked to China and a ban on imports of Chinese humanoid robots... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365510/us-urged-use-beijing-playbook-secure-chinese-tech-transfers https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365510/us-urged-use-beijing-playbook-secure-chinese-tech-transfers Thu, 27 Aug 2026 22:25:57 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Cooperation between the United States and China is required to manage the unprecedented societal impacts of rapidly advancing artificial intelligence (AI) technology, Bill Gates wrote in a new essay published on Wednesday. The call to action comes as the billionaire philanthropist and tech titan warns that AI is ushering in “one of the most turbulent times in human history”, which could either become “the greatest equaliser ever invented, or the worst source of injustice”. “[The] countries that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365377/bill-gates-warns-ais-impact-urges-us-and-china-cooperate https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365377/bill-gates-warns-ais-impact-urges-us-and-china-cooperate Wed, 26 Aug 2026 22:11:34 +0000 Vincent Chow,Lucy Quaggin Vincent Chow,Lucy Quaggin The front page of the Danville Register & Bee, a local newspaper in southern Virginia with a circulation of fewer than 4,000, carried an unusual headline. “LEADER: CHINA BEHIND THE MISCONCEPTIONS”, it read, above a photograph of two homes dwarfed by a data centre behind. The leader in question was Vic Ingram, chair of the Danville-Pittsylvania Regional Industrial Facility Authority (RIFA), a local body jointly established by the city of Danville and neighbouring Pittsylvania County to promote... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3365368/small-virginia-town-distrust-big-tech-hampers-trumps-ai-push https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3365368/small-virginia-town-distrust-big-tech-hampers-trumps-ai-push Wed, 26 Aug 2026 15:27:24 +0000 Lucy Quaggin,Vincent Chow Lucy Quaggin,Vincent Chow On the tree-lined streets of Sterling, northern Virginia, Lindsay Shaw’s home sits across from an industrial neighbour that has consumed the past several years of her life: a data centre. When Shaw sits outside, she can hear its constant hum. At night, the security lights blaze through her window, making it harder to sleep. Gas turbines, diesel fumes, and 24/7 industrial noise have choked Shaw’s neighbourhood since the data centre moved in. Meanwhile, in Washington, US President Donald Trump is... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3365255/trump-says-china-driving-opposition-data-centres-these-residents-disagree https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3365255/trump-says-china-driving-opposition-data-centres-these-residents-disagree Tue, 25 Aug 2026 20:46:19 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow As China deepens the commercialisation of its vast troves of data, the United States needs to develop its own national data strategy that treats data as an economic asset to better position itself to prevail in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and robotics, a key US congressional advisory body has said. In a report published on Tuesday, the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) warned that the US risks ceding global leadership in setting global data... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3364489/us-urged-follow-chinas-lead-treating-data-economic-asset https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3364489/us-urged-follow-chinas-lead-treating-data-economic-asset Tue, 18 Aug 2026 23:27:39 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Facebook owner Meta Platforms is set to fully unwind its acquisition of Chinese-founded artificial intelligence platform Manus, more than three months after Beijing blocked the deal on national security grounds, capping off another high-profile decoupling between the US and China in the critical area of AI. On Tuesday, Manus wrote in a note to users that it would delete data by “certain users” generated on or after December 29, when Meta acquired the start-up, as part of the company’s transition... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3363704/facebook-parent-meta-unwind-us2-billion-manus-ai-deal-after-beijing-block https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3363704/facebook-parent-meta-unwind-us2-billion-manus-ai-deal-after-beijing-block Tue, 11 Aug 2026 19:13:36 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow A Chinese citizen faces up to 20 years in US federal prison after pleading guilty on Monday to attempting to purchase US-made military equipment to export to China, in violation of US arms export controls, according to the US Department of Justice (DOJ). Chen Dingwei, 29, was charged with attempting to purchase military-grade satellite modems and radios manufactured for the US military by US companies, which are barred from being exported to China under the US Arms Export Control Act. US... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363584/chinese-national-pleads-guilty-trying-export-us-military-equipment-china https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363584/chinese-national-pleads-guilty-trying-export-us-military-equipment-china Mon, 10 Aug 2026 21:54:42 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow More American titans of artificial intelligence are describing Chinese open-weight models as better for AI safety and security than closed-source models, challenging the long-standing claim by US closed-source AI model developers such as Anthropic that open-source models present a threat to society. “From what I’m seeing, I think open-weight models seem safer to me than closed-weight models,” AI pioneer Andrew Ng, the former head of Google Brain and former chief scientist at Baidu, said at the... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3362974/us-ai-leaders-turn-chinese-open-weight-models-challenging-closed-source-safety-claims https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3362974/us-ai-leaders-turn-chinese-open-weight-models-challenging-closed-source-safety-claims Tue, 04 Aug 2026 16:08:31 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Prominent US lawmakers have requested information from food delivery giant DoorDash on its use of Chinese artificial intelligence models after its co-founder disclosed that they had experimented with a model from Chinese start-up Moonshot AI, developer of the Kimi models. The move underscores growing tensions between US lawmakers and industry, as Chinese AI models have become increasingly popular among US companies looking to save costs of AI adoption. House Select Committee on China chairman... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3362616/us-lawmakers-investigate-doordashs-use-moonshot-ais-kimi-k26-model https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3362616/us-lawmakers-investigate-doordashs-use-moonshot-ais-kimi-k26-model Fri, 31 Jul 2026 22:53:21 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang is meeting US officials and lawmakers in Washington this week amid reports that its export-controlled processors have been used to train advanced Chinese artificial intelligence models. Huang met with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Tuesday, US outlet Axios reported, citing an anonymous source. Neither the US Commerce Department nor Nvidia confirmed that the meeting occurred, and its purpose was not disclosed. “Jensen is in DC to meet with leaders on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3362184/nvidia-ceo-jensen-huang-meets-us-officials-scrutiny-grows-over-china-chip-access https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3362184/nvidia-ceo-jensen-huang-meets-us-officials-scrutiny-grows-over-china-chip-access Tue, 28 Jul 2026 21:21:58 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Chinese artificial intelligence developers could start charging cloud platforms commercial licensing fees to host their open-weight models, according to the head of Asia internet research at Goldman Sachs, as firms look to capture more revenue from their soaring global use. The assessment comes as Chinese AI models – such as Moonshot AI’s Kimi K3 and Zhipu AI’s GLM-5.2 – have reached performance levels just a fraction behind top US rivals. However, because Chinese developers typically release... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3362032/chinese-ai-developers-may-shift-paid-weights-commercial-licensing-goldman-sachs https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3362032/chinese-ai-developers-may-shift-paid-weights-commercial-licensing-goldman-sachs Tue, 28 Jul 2026 02:00:09 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow A group of American tech giants, including Nvidia, Palantir and Meta, signed a public letter on Friday calling for US leadership in open-weight AI models, an area that China currently dominates. The challenge comes amid growing speculation that the Trump administration might introduce restrictions on open AI models. These would aim to address national security risks of the fast-moving technology and combat the growing popularity of Chinese models, a move that critics say would instead hurt US... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3361813/nvidia-palantir-meta-warn-against-premature-restrictions-open-weight-models https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3361813/nvidia-palantir-meta-warn-against-premature-restrictions-open-weight-models Fri, 24 Jul 2026 21:57:47 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow US President Donald Trump’s administration will redirect billions of dollars in federal research funding away from universities to individual scientists and AI-focused projects, arguing the overhaul is needed to help the US compete with China. The plan, outlined in a White House Office of Science and Technology Policy report released on Tuesday, comes as the administration warns that China has reached parity with the US in research and development spending over the past 20 years, “a situation... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3361517/trump-steer-billions-universities-ai-and-individual-scientists-counter-china https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3361517/trump-steer-billions-universities-ai-and-individual-scientists-counter-china Wed, 22 Jul 2026 23:35:23 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow The Trump administration has accused Chinese start-up Moonshot AI of covertly extracting capabilities from leading US artificial intelligence models and obtaining restricted Nvidia chips abroad, escalating Washington’s scrutiny of the company following the release of its powerful Kimi K3 model. Michael Kratsios, the White House science and technology adviser, alleged on Wednesday that the Beijing-based company had targeted Anthropic’s most powerful model, Claude Fable 5, through large-scale... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3361510/trump-tech-official-accuses-chinas-moonshot-ai-stealing-anthropic https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3361510/trump-tech-official-accuses-chinas-moonshot-ai-stealing-anthropic Wed, 22 Jul 2026 19:32:25 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow For years, Washington has fixated on the gap between US and Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) models as AI has increasingly taken centre stage in the strategic competition between the world’s two leading powers. The release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in late 2022 established a clear early lead for the US, with the first batch of export controls on advanced semiconductor chips introduced in October that year, putting American tech ahead by three years or more, some experts estimated at the time. But... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3361393/us-chinese-ai-model-gap-narrows-what-next-washington https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3361393/us-chinese-ai-model-gap-narrows-what-next-washington Tue, 21 Jul 2026 18:38:24 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Beijing has condemned the latest efforts by US lawmakers to curb Chinese access to leading semiconductor chips and chipmaking equipment, warning that they would lead to “arbitrary disruption and damage” to global supply chains. The stark assessment followed reports on Tuesday that three major export control bills targeting China – the AI Overwatch Act, the Match Act and the Chip Security Act – are set to be folded into the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA) in the US Senate, the annual... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3360846/beijing-denounces-us-chip-curbs-threat-global-supply-chains https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3360846/beijing-denounces-us-chip-curbs-threat-global-supply-chains Thu, 16 Jul 2026 19:21:51 +0000 Nayan Seth,Vincent Chow Nayan Seth,Vincent Chow Washington is moving to strengthen its artificial intelligence posture towards China, with lawmakers advancing new export control bills and the Trump administration deepening cooperation with leading US AI firms as concerns grow that Beijing is rapidly closing the technological gap. A senior Anthropic executive said on Wednesday that the United States holds a six-to-nine-month lead in frontier AI models over Chinese competitors, while accusing Chinese companies of using unauthorised... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3360729/us-hardens-ai-stance-china-anthropic-calls-extending-lead https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3360729/us-hardens-ai-stance-china-anthropic-calls-extending-lead Wed, 15 Jul 2026 22:05:35 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Huddled in a room around a big screen, dozens of Boko Haram members listened intently as external consultants, whom they called “the white guys”, coached them on how to use leading artificial intelligence chatbots with laptops pre-installed with VPNs and encryption software. The workshop was one of several training sessions delivered by specialised AI “trainers”, likely members of the vast Islamic State network, to Boko Haram members in northeastern Nigeria sometime during 2023 or 2024,... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3360585/boko-haram-exploited-us-and-chinese-ai-chatbots-attacks-cambridge-study-finds https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3360585/boko-haram-exploited-us-and-chinese-ai-chatbots-attacks-cambridge-study-finds Tue, 14 Jul 2026 21:39:46 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow A new round of US-China dialogue on the risks of artificial intelligence, even just for the sake of dialogue, will be important for furthering US national security, according to former senior US officials responsible for China affairs. The assessment comes after the world’s two leading AI superpowers agreed to a new round of intergovernmental talks on AI safety following the Trump-Xi summit in Beijing in May, though few details about the dialogue have been announced. Jeannette Chu, one of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3360192/renewed-us-china-ai-dialogue-serves-american-security-interests-former-officials https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3360192/renewed-us-china-ai-dialogue-serves-american-security-interests-former-officials Fri, 10 Jul 2026 18:30:17 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow US artificial intelligence company Anthropic said users in China being advised to uninstall its flagship Claude Code product were not supposed to be using it in the first place, responding after Beijing warned of security “backdoor” risks. The company’s statement comes after a cybersecurity platform managed by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said on Wednesday that Anthropic’s agentic coding tool poses “a serious threat” to Chinese users, in the latest escalation of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3359901/anthropic-hits-back-after-china-warns-claude-code-backdoor-risks https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3359901/anthropic-hits-back-after-china-warns-claude-code-backdoor-risks Wed, 08 Jul 2026 20:41:55 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow US President Donald Trump suggested on Monday that leading American artificial intelligence companies would make a public “contribution” to the country, offering few details but fuelling speculation about a greater government role in the booming industry. Speaking in the Oval Office on Monday morning, Trump said tech companies “making tremendous amounts of money” will be making “a contribution to the people of our country”. “We’re going to have guardrails … You know that. But [AI] can be used... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3359646/trump-hints-public-contribution-us-ai-firms https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3359646/trump-hints-public-contribution-us-ai-firms Mon, 06 Jul 2026 21:16:30 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow As the United States marks the 250th anniversary of its founding, it confronts a new world order dominated by its relationship with China. In this wide-ranging series, we examine the pressure points and possibilities in those ties, from hard tech to soft power. Here, Vincent Chow looks at how China challenges core American assumptions about innovation and technology, and the historical stakes of their competition in artificial intelligence. In 1969, the renowned British sinologist Joseph Needham... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3358925/great-ai-reckoning-how-china-flipping-script-us-new-industrial-revolution https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3358925/great-ai-reckoning-how-china-flipping-script-us-new-industrial-revolution Tue, 30 Jun 2026 22:00:12 +0000