Tech titan Elon Musk recently praised China’s advancements in the field of AI during his appearance at the World AI Conference in Shanghai. Musk praised the “wisdom and determination” of Chinese AI researchers despite the communist country’s hostile stance towards the United States.
Business Insider reports that Elon Musk, the tech mogul behind companies such as SpaceX and Tesla and new owner of Twitter, recently expressed his admiration for China’s progress in the field of artificial intelligence. Speaking at the World AI Conference in Shanghai, Musk highlighted the determination and wisdom of the Chinese people.
Elon Musk – CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and the Boring Company, and Chinese president/emperor Xi Jinping. (Peter Sparks/AFP/Getty, Lintao Zhang/Getty Images for IAAF)
“I admire the Chinese people’s wisdom and determination,” Musk said. “As long as the Chinese people decide to do well in one thing, they will, including in AI.”
The conference, hosted by Chinese government ministries, was sponsored by several high-profile companies, including Huawei and SenseTime. Both of these companies have been sanctioned by the U.S. government, which has raised concerns about their close ties to the Chinese government and the potential misuse of their technology.
Musk’s comments come on the heels of his recent visit to China, where he met with government officials and toured Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory. During his visit, Musk made headlines with his remarks about the intertwined economic interests of the US and China.
Breitbart News previously reported on Musk’s cozy relationship with communist officials during the visit:
In between these meetings, reports surfaced of Musk stopping by the ritzy Man Fu Yan restaurant in Beijing for a lavish feast in his honor, featuring a menu branded with his Chinese name, 马斯克 (Masike). The Chinese character for “ma” also means horse, so the menu, as circulating on Weibo, included art featuring horses.
The Global Times confirmed Musk’s stop at the restaurant and described his meal.
“After the meeting with Qin, Musk was said to have enjoyed dinner at a high-end restaurant in Beijing, according to photos circulating on China’s social media platforms,” the state-run newspaper relayed. “He was cordially received by the restaurant with a menu elaborately designed to contain the initial of Musk’s last name in Chinese and 16 dishes including geoduck with pickled cabbage and zhajiangmian, a traditional noodle dish topped with a rich soybean paste.”
These comments drew criticism from some quarters, with accusations that Musk was pandering to the Chinese Communist Party in an attempt to secure favorable market conditions for his businesses.
Vivek Ramaswamy, a Republican candidate, referred to Musk’s remarks as “deeply concerning” and accused him of “kowtowing” to the Chinese Communist Party “as a basis for gaining favorable market treatment.”
Read more at Business Insider here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan