Scale A.I.’s CEO, Alexandr Wang, testified in a House Armed Services Subcommittee hearing on July 18, 2023, that the US needs to accelerate its AI and data integration efforts to compete with China’s advancements in AI technology.
The AI Race: The US vs. China
Wang underlined the crucial role AI will play in future global conflicts. “The country that is able to most rapidly and effectively integrate new technology into war-fighting wins,” Wang asserted. According to him, China is currently spending three times more than the US on AI development. He warned, “AI is China’s Apollo project.”
Urging Pentagon to Upgrade
The San Francisco-based CEO called for the Pentagon to centralize its data for AI training and upgrade its workforce to maintain competitiveness. His call came during a hearing of the House Armed Services Subcommittee focused on AI’s future role in warfare.
Sluggish Response to AI Emergence
Congress has struggled to keep pace with the rapid development and widespread adoption of AI tools like ChatGPT. In response, lawmakers have introduced several bills and proposals to address issues ranging from data privacy to government use of AI. The need for an AI-focused federal agency to regulate this new technology has also been discussed.
AI: A National Security Lifeline
Former CIA officer, now a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, Klon Kitchen, emphasized that AI could be a “national security lifeline” for the US. He stressed the need for deliberate and aggressive measures to overtake China in this race.
Alexandr Wang: AI Advocate and Entrepreneur
At 26, Wang is one of the youngest self-made billionaires in the world, with his company Scale AI now valued at more than $7 billion. His firm focuses on data annotation, a critical step in training AI models, and employs over 240,000 workers globally.
Wang has been an active advocate for AI, especially among lawmakers who share his concerns about China’s progress in AI. He argues that the AI race should be viewed as a battle between “democratic values” and authoritarian regimes.
Scale AI’s Contribution to the US Military
Scale AI lists the US Army, the US Air Force, and the Pentagon’s Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office among its clients. Wang confirmed that Scale AI is currently collaborating with the US government to develop a data engine to support the Army’s Robotic Combat Vehicle Program.
In 2022, the Defense Department’s Joint Artificial Intelligence Center awarded Scale AI a $249 million deal to develop machine-learning platforms. In partnership with the US Army’s XVIII Airborne Corps, Scale AI is deploying a large language model named Donovan.
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