A member of the House GOP’s China Select Committee, Representative Carlos Gimenez from Florida, has underscored the critical nature of the United States emerging victorious in the competition for dominance in artificial intelligence (AI) against China. Gimenez has emphasized the potential threat posed by China’s simultaneous pursuit of AI and quantum computing, urging the U.S. to win the AI race due to its far-reaching applications, including military advancements.
Gimenez has expressed concerns about China’s rapid integration of AI into everyday life and national security, warning that a loss in the AI competition could result in advanced technologies being used against the United States. Despite recent positive economic indicators and a slowdown in inflation, a national NBC News poll indicates that President Biden trails former President Trump by a significant margin in handling the economy.
The competition is not limited to the military arena, as Gimenez has highlighted China’s data harvesting through platforms like TikTok, raising security concerns. During a hearing, he questioned FBI Director Christopher Wray about TikTok, and Wray acknowledged substantial worries about potential Chinese government control over data and algorithms.
To address these concerns and maintain a leadership position in AI innovation, Gimenez has suggested a close examination of U.S. institutions with ties to Beijing, particularly educational institutions collaborating with Chinese companies. He has stressed the need to view every Chinese company as a potential extension of the Chinese military, expressing worry about the transfer of technology from American and Western universities to entities associated with the People’s Republic of China.