People’s Daily attacks US over AI distillation claims
SingTao · 2 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A commentary published by the People’s Daily on Wednesday criticised the United States for turning disputes over AI distillation into a national security issue and for using state power to defend what it described as technological hegemony. It said China opposed the US approach, called for dialogue on AI risks and governance, and warned of countermeasures if Chinese AI companies were suppressed under the banner of cracking down on distillation.
Key Points
- On Wednesday, the People’s Daily said recent US accusations against Chinese AI firms over “industrial-scale” distillation were unsupported by facts or law.
- The article referred to a joint US notice issued by the National Security Agency, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
- It argued distillation is a standard AI technique used globally, including by US companies, and said some US model-development reports disclosed extensive distillation of Chinese models.
- The commentary accused Washington of applying a double standard by treating US use of distillation as normal industry practice while portraying Chinese use as an attack.
- It said Chinese and US leaders had agreed to hold intergovernmental AI dialogue, and urged both sides to manage risks through equal and mutually beneficial talks.
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers following the AI race, the dispute points to a further hardening of US-China technology frictions, with restrictions described in the commentary as extending from chips and computing power to model access. The article also suggests Beijing will frame future AI disputes around openness, market access and retaliation if Chinese firms’ lawful interests are harmed.