05/07/2023
The Increasing Importance of AI in International Relations and Diplomacy:
Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Bill Gates on Friday to discuss the global expansion of artificial intelligence (AI), according to sources familiar with the talks. During their meeting in Beijing, Xi expressed his support for U.S. companies, including Microsoft, bringing their AI technology to China. The discussions also touched on Microsoft's business development in the country.
Bill Gates, who co-founded Microsoft, stepped down from the company's board in 2020 to focus on philanthropic endeavors related to global health, education, and climate change.
Although the specific details of the conversation about AI were not disclosed in reports by Chinese state media or in Gates' own reflections on his China trip, Xi has previously emphasized the need for China to harness AI for economic development while remaining cautious about its potential risks. China is currently considering a new law and regulations for generative AI.
Neither the Chinese State Council Information Office, responsible for media queries on behalf of the government, nor Microsoft have provided immediate comments on the meeting.
This discussion between Xi and Gates takes place at a time when U.S.-China relations have reached a low point, with AI becoming a significant point of contention. The United States has implemented export controls aimed at restricting China's AI advancements, while China's crackdown on consultancies and restrictions on certain sales by U.S. chipmaker Micron have unsettled the foreign business community.
Microsoft, a supporter of OpenAI, which gained global attention with its ChatGPT chatbot, has faced some limitations in China. OpenAI and ChatGPT itself are not blocked by Chinese authorities, but mainland China and Hong Kong users are unable to access them due to restrictions imposed by OpenAI. Microsoft has maintained a presence in China for over three decades, operating a large research center and offering the only foreign search engine, Bing, accessible within China's Great Firewall. However, Bing's search results on sensitive topics are subject to censorship.
In recent years, Microsoft has encountered challenges in the Chinese market as the government tightened control over the internet sector. In 2021, it discontinued LinkedIn China and replaced it with a pared-down version focused solely on job-related functions. The company announced in May that it would shut down the app altogether due to intense competition and macroeconomic challenges but stated its intention to maintain a presence in China.
