- “I think there are huge numbers of very smart, very talented people in China,” says Elon Musk.
- “I think China is going to have a very strong AI capability. [that] That’s my prediction,” added the Tesla CEO.
- Musk has big business interests in China, where Tesla sells electric cars and operates a large factory in Shanghai.
Elon Musk speaks via video at the opening ceremony of the 2023 World Congress on Artificial Intelligence in Shanghai, China on July 6, 2023.
VCG | Visual China Group | Getty Images
Elon Musk believes China is in a strong position when it comes to developing artificial intelligence, and that the country “will be good at everything if it gets serious.”
In a video remark Thursday at the World Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Shanghai, Tesla’s CEO didn’t hesitate to praise one aspect of the world’s second-largest economy.
“I think there are a huge number of very smart, very talented people in China,” he said. “I have always greatly admired the immense talent and drive that exists in China.”
“So I actually think China can be great at everything it does if it gets serious,” Musk added.
“So this includes many different sectors, economic sectors, but also artificial intelligence. So I think China will have very strong AI capabilities. [that] That’s my prediction. “
Mr. Musk has big business interests in China. Tesla sells electric cars there and operates a large factory in Shanghai. In May he met with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang.
He has praised Chinese automakers in the past as “the most competitive in the world.” In 2020, he said, “China is great in my opinion.”
Musk’s recent comments come against the backdrop of tensions between the United States and China over technology.
In 2022, the US government will enact broad export restrictions on major chips and semiconductor equipment to China. The move could hamper Beijing’s attempts to strengthen domestic industries in key technology areas. But industry analysts believe that Chinese chip makers will still develop their own advanced chips, despite Washington’s push to cut China off.
There has been a recent surge of interest in AI and its potentially transformative impact on society. While chatbots such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT have received a lot of attention over the past year, there has also been debate about whether AI poses a broader threat to humanity.
—Arjun Kharpal of CNBC contributed to this report
