China’s terrifying AI plan

In today’s big story, we’re looking at China’s strict approach to overseeing its AI development and the threat it poses to the world.

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For the Chinese Communist Party, that’s the plan. The country’s history of censorship and surveillance is extending to its approach to AI, writes Business Insider’s Linette Lopez.

The CCP’s plan for AI is about shaping reality and enforcing its power, according to internal documents. To that end, the government has final sign-off on large language models and the data they were trained on.

In short, it’s less “move fast and break things” and more “proceed in a government-approved fashion and avoid upsetting the status quo.”

China’s push to exert control over AI comes at a critical juncture for the country.

As Linette has previously reported, China’s bright economic future has dimmed considerably. And its recovery plan — China shock 2.0  — won’t come easily or be welcomed by the rest of the world.

So, as AI chatbots become the new method of receiving information, it’s no wonder the CCP is making sure AI is getting accurate its messages across.

As we’ve seen recently, a lack of guardrails comes with its own set of problems. The end results range from funny (don’t make your pizza with glue) to infuriating (AI misusing creative work).

And in the face of these mishaps, the response from the people in charge rarely exudes the confidence of someone completely in control. Instead, it feels like we’re all going along for an AI-led drive and hoping for the best.

So putting in some types of rules around the tech — albeit not to the degree the CCP has — seems like a good idea.

But that poses another issue. How can we expect lawmakers, who often struggle with the basics of tech, to grasp something people on the cutting edge can barely wrap their heads around?

In the meantime, China could extend the AI tools of control and surveillance it creates to other regimes with similar ideologies.

It’s a distressing outcome.

“The digital curtain AI can build in our imaginations will be much more impenetrable than iron, making it impossible for societies to cooperate in a shared future,” Linette writes.

Your Monday headline catchup

A quick recap of the top news from over the weekend:

• Rupert Murdoch married Elena Zhukova at his California vineyard.
• Disney’s new development deal with DeSantis could pave the way for a Disney World expansion of mythic proportions.
• Stormy Daniels breaks her media silence and says Melania should leave Donald Trump.
• The trendy prebiotic soda touted by A-listers is misleading consumers, according to a new lawsuit.

🔔 Before the opening bell: US stock futures climb in premarket trading as Wall Street bets on interest rate cuts.

2. What to do ahead of May’s jobs report. Permabull Tom Lee said it’s a great time to buy stocks — shocking — with a new jobs report set to drop on Friday. Stocks’ slight decline last week and April Core PCE data showing cooling inflation means investors can get in ahead of the next rally.

3. GameStop surges again. Shares in the retailer almost doubled ahead of Monday’s opening bell after trader Keith Gill, also known as “Roaring Kitty,” revealed a $116 million position.

2. This anti-Instagram photo-sharing app is grabbing the tech world’s attention. Launched in 2023 by two former Instagram staffers, Retro is a social media app that isn’t chasing AI hype. Instead, it’s focused on building a cozy, small-scale user experience that’s wooing many Silicon Valley figures.

3. It’s been a tough start for Amazon’s Shopify killer. Launched over a year ago, Buy with Prime has seen mixed results so far, according to sellers who spoke with BI. Internal Amazon emails discussed “dissatisfaction,” with sales off target “by a wide margin.”

2. Why Americans don’t exercise. Many of our collective crises — depression, loneliness, and anxiety — are made worse by our tendency toward a sedentary, shut-in lifestyle. Research shows that exercise can help. So why have we given up on trying to be active?

3. Boomers and Gen Z are feeling happy-lonely. New studies show that happiness and loneliness both peak early and later in life, with a decline in middle age. We spoke with adults who feel happy and lonely at the same time — and researchers on how that works.

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• Loyalty at work no longer pays — and it’s employers who are to blame.
• Here’s everything you need to know about Big Tech’s AI models and tools but were too afraid to ask.
• Swifties are some of the best tippers, Lyft CEO says.
• A single customer made up 19% of Nvidia’s revenue last year. UBS thinks it’s Microsoft.
• These parents wouldn’t let their teens have phones. Here’s what happened.

• IATA’s annual report on the air transport industry will be released today.

Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York. Jordan Parker Erb, editor, in New York. Hallam Bullock, senior editor, in London. George Glover, reporter, in London. Grace Lett, associate editor, in Chicago. Annie Smith, associate producer, in London.

Get in touch. Email us at insidertoday@insider.com

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