Elon Musk Hails China’s AI Advancements at State-Backed Conference Supported by US-Sanctioned Firms

Tesla CEO Elon Musk praised China’s advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) during his speech at a government-backed conference on Thursday. Musk commended the wisdom and determination of the Chinese people, expressing confidence in their ability to excel in AI. The World AI Conference in Shanghai, hosted by Chinese government ministries, featured semiconductor manufacturer Qualcomm as the only sponsoring US company, unlike previous years when Amazon Web Services, IBM, and Microsoft participated. However, this year’s sponsors include Huawei and SenseTime, both of which have faced US sanctions. These companies have been accused of having close ties to the Chinese government and their technology potentially being used for espionage. OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, is notably absent from the conference. This marks Musk’s first visit to China since the pandemic, where he visited Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory and held meetings with government officials. His visit received widespread attention, including criticism for his comments expressing opposition to the weakening of economic ties between the US and China.