Recently, Chinese academician Sun Ninghui was asked about why there is still a 2 to 3 generation gap in AI technology between China and the United States despite China catching up for 2 years. Sun Ninghui compared it to the Chinese national football team and sparked a debate by saying, “Our football is even further behind,”
On September 10, 2024, the Chinese Computer Conference was held in Beijing. Sun Ninghui, chairman of the Organizing Committee of the conference, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and researcher at the Institute of Computing Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, attended the conference.
In a viral video, a journalist asked Sun Ninghui why there has been no change in the technology gap between China and the United States, even though China has been catching up for 2 years since the release of Chat GPT technology.
Sun Ninghui responded by saying, “This is very normal. China is even further behind in football. After all, the United States is the center of the world in terms of AI technology. Not only are we behind the United States, but Europe is also far behind, Japan is even further behind, and Russia doesn’t even have a shadow. The United States is the locomotive of technology, no matter how much you dislike it, in the context of rapid global development of AI technology, its engine is strong, and it will surely run fast.”
Sun Ninghui’s response sparked a heated discussion online.
Some netizens were dissatisfied, accusing him of “diminishing one’s prestige to exalt another” and being “too eager to please foreigners.”
Others defended Sun Ninghui, saying, “Speaking the truth is being attacked”, “After watching the video, it’s very objective”, “Academician Sun spoke the truth. The gap is the gap”, “Don’t politicize, time will verify everything”, “Some people still enjoy listening to empty talk”, “We have to admit that the United States is far ahead of us in the field of technology.”
“Honestly, the attitude is right. Acknowledge the shortcomings, and then strive to surpass them. Always claiming to be the global number one is arrogant”, “Catch up? What about talent? Computing power? Funding? We are inferior in every aspect compared to them, the gap can only get wider! It’s inevitable, we can’t change the track of this race.”
The 58-year-old Sun Ninghui is an expert in computer system architecture, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, a researcher at the Institute of Computing Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the director of the Academic Committee. He had visited the United States’ Princeton University as a visiting scholar for a year.
In April of this year, during the 14th session of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, Sun Ninghui mentioned that China’s development in intelligent computing is facing four major challenges, including being in a follow-up mode in AI core capabilities, being stuck in high-end chip technology due to long-term restrictions on sales, the weak ecosystem of intelligent computing, inadequate penetration rate of AI development frameworks, and the high cost and threshold for applying AI in industries.