China's AI Labs: Art as Soft Power in the Global Tech Race
A visit to a Shanghai-based artificial intelligence research institute reveals how China is using art to project soft power in the global AI race. The exhibition hall features an ink-wash map depicting AI's landscape: chipmakers as mountains on islands, algorithms as jagged mountain ranges, and questions of privacy, fairness, and machine consciousness as uncharted islands. Foreign visitors asked about the placement of Huawei's chip at an estuary and the depiction of AI ethics as twin peaks, but staff emphasized the map is art, not an official statement. This artistic representation underscores the broader battle for global influence, where the ultimate prize is not just owning AI technology but dictating rules, framing ethics, and commanding influence. The report, published by the South China Morning Post, highlights how China leverages cultural artifacts to communicate its technological ambitions and ethical stance, positioning itself as a leader in shaping AI's future norms.
Key facts
- A Shanghai-based AI research institute displays an ink-wash map as art.
- The map depicts chipmakers as mountains on islands and algorithms as mountain ranges.
- Privacy, fairness, and machine consciousness are shown as uncharted islands.
- Foreign visitors questioned the placement of Huawei's chip at an estuary.
- AI ethics are depicted as twin peaks in the artwork.
- Staff repeatedly stated the map is art, not an official statement of facts.
- The visit highlights the battle for global soft power in AI.
- The prize in AI is the power to dictate rules, frame ethics, and command influence.
Entities
Institutions
- Huawei
- South China Morning Post
Locations
- Shanghai
- China