China’s AI Gap with the US: A Candid Assessment by Academician Sun Ninghui

At the 2024 China Computer Conference, Sun Ninghui, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, addressed the question of why China lags behind the United States in artificial intelligence (AI) by 2-3 generations.

Sun Ninghui, a computer system structure expert and researcher at the Institute of Computing Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, attributed the gap to the United States being the technological locomotive. “No matter how much you hate it, when technology is developing rapidly, it has a strong engine and must run fast,” he said.

A reporter asked, “When ChatGPT came out, everyone said that the gap between China and the United States was 2 to 3 generations. We have been catching up for two years. Why has the gap not changed?” Sun Ninghui replied, “This is normal! After all, the United States is the center of the world. Not only are we lagging behind, Europe is lagging behind even more, Japan is even more lagging behind, and Russia is nowhere to be found.”

Many Chinese netizens agreed with Sun Ninghui’s assessment, saying that it is true that most of the world’s elites in technology, business, finance, art, etc. are concentrated in places where it is difficult for other countries to catch up. They also acknowledged that while China has made progress in various aspects, it is not always “far ahead” and that the attitude of admitting shortcomings is necessary to become the best in the world.

Sun Ninghui previously pointed out that China’s intelligent computing development faces four major difficulties, including being in tracking mode in terms of core AI capabilities, high-end chip processes being stuck due to a sales ban, a weak intelligent computing ecosystem, and high costs and thresholds for AI application in the industry.

The gap between the United States and China in AI remains a pressing concern, with some believing that the gap has not narrowed despite efforts to catch up.