Nigel Inkster

The world is witnessing a race toward the realization of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), a term which lacks an agreed definition but which is broadly understood to refer to an Artificial Intelligence system able to perform all human cognitive functions as well as or better than human beings. The race is being driven by US technology giants and their Chinese counterparts, in the belief that whoever gets there first will define the future evolution of humankind. Views on the desirability of AGI range from unbridled optimism about the potential benefits to extreme pessimism about the implications for humanity of a system that might escape our control. This study examines US and Chinese thinking on these dilemmas, drawing on both official pronouncements and policy documents and the views of policy-relevant scholarship. The aim is to discern how views on the implications of AGI for concepts of humanity are evolving between East and West, drawing on the author's experience of para-diplomatic engagement with the US and China on AI-related issues.