Vertical Divider
Eric Schmidt: Urgent US Counters China On AI
Eric Schmiidt, former Google CEO, is often the smartest guy in the room when it comes to high tech and has the credentials to prove it. He said, “The US is ‘one or two years ahead of China in AI, not five or 10’ and the Chinese are well ahead in areas like face recognition.” Schmidt called on the US government to fast track development of emerging technology including artificial intelligence (AI) to maintain its lead on key technological areas as he addressed the Senate Armed Services Committee on emerging technologies and their impact on national security. “Because of the diffusion of the technology, you have to expect that anything that’s invented in the open source AI world will immediately be adopted by China,” said Schmidt, who is also the chairman of the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, established in 2018 through the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act. “The threat is very, very real.”
Legislation that Senate Majority Leader Schumer proposed last year in May seeking funding of US$100 billion to spur research in key tech areas, from artificial intelligence to quantum computing and semiconductors sits on the shelf.
But as part of the new realization that we may be losing the race, senators are looking at providing emergency funding to implement bipartisan semiconductor programmed included in last year’s National Defense Authorization Act, which sets overall US military spending and the Pentagon policies backed up by that spending.
The swift advances in Chinese artificial intelligence were partly due to the country’s supportive policy including its “Next Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan” introduced in 2017 is designed to make China an AI superpower by 2030, surpassing its rivals to become “the world’s premier artificial intelligence innovation center”. Its massive population and weak data privacy laws also allowed China easy deployment of such technology. The gap in defense capabilities between China and the US is quickly narrowing causing
Schmidt to stress that “urgency” should drive the US policy, regardless whether the focus is on the public funding or private-sector initiatives.
AI is just one of many areas that US government has identified as crucial in shaping future national security. In 2018, America’s national defense strategy identified 14 categories of emerging technologies as critical, including AI, semiconductors, quantum computing, biotechnology, hypersonics, and 5G.
By the end of 2020, the Commerce Department expanded that list to 37 categories. Products that fall under these groups are under restriction as exports to China. “But it’s not enough,” said Schmidt. “I suggest we take American ingenuity, which is profound, with some form of incentive system to close this gap and put those semiconductor foundries in the United States and use them for both commercial but also military purposes.”
One great example of the governments priority given to this problem is the upcoming Stimulus bill. Here’s the direct link: H.R.748 - 116th Congress (2019-2020): CARES Act. It has a $2.0 trillion target and covers a myriad of spending, but not one dollar for high tech. Schumer’s delayed US$100 billion to spur research in key tech areas, would barely be a footnote in this bill. There are 130m. households in the US; if every household received $1400, the cost would be $180b, if every person received the stimulus the cost would be $463b. Here is where the rest goes:
President Biden signed an executive order at addressing a global semiconductor chip shortage that has forced U.S. automakers and other manufacturers to cut production and alarmed the White House and members of Congress, administration officials said. Biden’s executive order, will launch an immediate 100-day review of supply chains for four critical products: semiconductor chips, large-capacity batteries for electric vehicles, rare earth minerals and pharmaceuticals. The order directs six sector reviews - modeled after the process used by the Defense Department to strengthen the defense industrial base. It will be focused on the areas of defense, public health, communications technology, transportation, energy and food production.
The United States has been besieged by supply shortages since the onset of the pandemic, which squeezed the availability of masks, gloves and other personal protective equipment, hurting frontline workers. A group of U.S. semiconductor companies earlier in February urged Biden to provide “substantial funding for incentives for semiconductor manufacturing” as part of his economic recovery and infrastructure plans. Under Biden’s order, the White House will look to:
The Executive order is a response to the short term shortage of ICs that is affecting the auto industry, but it provides a glimmer of hope that the US could begin addressing the longer term issues identified by Eric Schmiidt.
Eric Schmiidt, former Google CEO, is often the smartest guy in the room when it comes to high tech and has the credentials to prove it. He said, “The US is ‘one or two years ahead of China in AI, not five or 10’ and the Chinese are well ahead in areas like face recognition.” Schmidt called on the US government to fast track development of emerging technology including artificial intelligence (AI) to maintain its lead on key technological areas as he addressed the Senate Armed Services Committee on emerging technologies and their impact on national security. “Because of the diffusion of the technology, you have to expect that anything that’s invented in the open source AI world will immediately be adopted by China,” said Schmidt, who is also the chairman of the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, established in 2018 through the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act. “The threat is very, very real.”
Legislation that Senate Majority Leader Schumer proposed last year in May seeking funding of US$100 billion to spur research in key tech areas, from artificial intelligence to quantum computing and semiconductors sits on the shelf.
But as part of the new realization that we may be losing the race, senators are looking at providing emergency funding to implement bipartisan semiconductor programmed included in last year’s National Defense Authorization Act, which sets overall US military spending and the Pentagon policies backed up by that spending.
The swift advances in Chinese artificial intelligence were partly due to the country’s supportive policy including its “Next Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan” introduced in 2017 is designed to make China an AI superpower by 2030, surpassing its rivals to become “the world’s premier artificial intelligence innovation center”. Its massive population and weak data privacy laws also allowed China easy deployment of such technology. The gap in defense capabilities between China and the US is quickly narrowing causing
Schmidt to stress that “urgency” should drive the US policy, regardless whether the focus is on the public funding or private-sector initiatives.
AI is just one of many areas that US government has identified as crucial in shaping future national security. In 2018, America’s national defense strategy identified 14 categories of emerging technologies as critical, including AI, semiconductors, quantum computing, biotechnology, hypersonics, and 5G.
By the end of 2020, the Commerce Department expanded that list to 37 categories. Products that fall under these groups are under restriction as exports to China. “But it’s not enough,” said Schmidt. “I suggest we take American ingenuity, which is profound, with some form of incentive system to close this gap and put those semiconductor foundries in the United States and use them for both commercial but also military purposes.”
One great example of the governments priority given to this problem is the upcoming Stimulus bill. Here’s the direct link: H.R.748 - 116th Congress (2019-2020): CARES Act. It has a $2.0 trillion target and covers a myriad of spending, but not one dollar for high tech. Schumer’s delayed US$100 billion to spur research in key tech areas, would barely be a footnote in this bill. There are 130m. households in the US; if every household received $1400, the cost would be $180b, if every person received the stimulus the cost would be $463b. Here is where the rest goes:
- $300,000,000 for Migrant and Refugee Assistance pg. 147
- $10,000 per person for student loan bailout
- $100,000,000 to NASA, because, who knows why.
- $20,000,000,000 to the USPS
- $300,000,000 to the Endowment for the Arts
- $300,000,000 for the Endowment for the Humanities.
- $15,000,000 for Veterans Employment Training
- $435,000,000 for mental health support
- $30,000,000,000 for the Department of Education stabilization fund/ because that will keep people employed (all those zeros can be confusing, that’s $30 BILLION)
- $200,000,000 to Safe Schools Emergency Response to Violence Program
- $300,000,000 to Public Broadcasting / NPR has to be bought by the Democrats.
- $500,000,000 to Museums and Libraries.
- $720,000,000 to Social Security Admin / but get this only 200,000,000 is to help people. The rest is for admin costs.
- $25,000,000 for Cleaning supplies for the Capitol Building / I kid you not it's on page 136.
- $7,500,000 to the Smithsonian for additional salaries
- $35,000,000 to the JFK Center for Performing Arts
- $25,000,000 for additional salary for House of Representatives
- $3,000,000,000 upgrade to the IT department at the VA
- $315,000,000 for State Department Diplomatic Programs
- $95,000,000 for the Agency of International Development
- $300,000,000 for International Disaster Assistance
- $90,000,000 for the Peace Corp pg. 148
- $13,000,000 to Howard University pg. 121
- $9,000,000 Misc. Senate Expenses pg. 134
- $100,000,000 to Essential Air carriers pg. 162. This of note because the Airlines are going to need billions in loans to keep them afloat ($100,000,000 is chump change.)
- $40,000,000,000 goes to the Take Responsibility to Workers and Families Act This sounds like it's direct payments for workers pg. 164.
- $1,000,000,000 Airlines Recycle and Save Program pg. 163
- $25,000,000 to the FAA for administrative costs pg. 165
- $492,000,000 to National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) pg. 167
- $526,000,000 Grants to Amtrak to remain available if needed through 2021 pg. 168 (what are the odds that doesn't go unused) Hidden on page 174 the Secretary has 7 days to allocate the funds & notify Congress.
- $25,000,000,000 for Transit Infrastructure pg. 169
- $3,000,000 Maritime Administration pg. 172
- $5,000,000 Salaries and Expensive Office of the Inspector General pg. 172
- $2,500,000 Public and Indian Housing pg. 175
- $5,000,000 Community Planning and Development pg. 175
- $2,500,000 Office of Housing
President Biden signed an executive order at addressing a global semiconductor chip shortage that has forced U.S. automakers and other manufacturers to cut production and alarmed the White House and members of Congress, administration officials said. Biden’s executive order, will launch an immediate 100-day review of supply chains for four critical products: semiconductor chips, large-capacity batteries for electric vehicles, rare earth minerals and pharmaceuticals. The order directs six sector reviews - modeled after the process used by the Defense Department to strengthen the defense industrial base. It will be focused on the areas of defense, public health, communications technology, transportation, energy and food production.
The United States has been besieged by supply shortages since the onset of the pandemic, which squeezed the availability of masks, gloves and other personal protective equipment, hurting frontline workers. A group of U.S. semiconductor companies earlier in February urged Biden to provide “substantial funding for incentives for semiconductor manufacturing” as part of his economic recovery and infrastructure plans. Under Biden’s order, the White House will look to:
- Diversify the United States’ supply chain dependence for specific products such as rare earth minerals from China.
- Develop some of that production in the United States and partner with other countries in Asia and Latin America when it cannot produce such products at home, the official said.
- Limit imports of certain materials and train U.S. workers to ramp up production at home.
The Executive order is a response to the short term shortage of ICs that is affecting the auto industry, but it provides a glimmer of hope that the US could begin addressing the longer term issues identified by Eric Schmiidt.
|
Contact Us
|
Barry Young
|