The Beijing dilemma: Dependencies in global artificial intelligence research

A common view of the relationship between the U.S. and China regarding artificial intelligence (AI) is of competition or even a battleground. However, artificial intelligence is a scientific field that thrives on collaboration and knowledge sharing. As a science, it relies on previous knowledge from all corners of the world. These views pose a dilemma. On the one hand, some developments in AI technologies must be kept secret for national security reasons. On the other, purposeful AI technologies in, for example, medical diagnosis or education may be slowed down because useful foreign knowledge is not accessed. In a recent paper, we take a step toward addressing this dilemma and describe AI knowledge dependencies worldwide (AlShebli et al. 2022). If dependencies are important, depriving the U.S. of AI knowledge created elsewhere can hamper social and economic development.