OpenAI CEO Sam Altman praised China at a Beijing conference on Saturday as his company restricts access to its AI (artificial intelligence) chatbot in the country and Hong Kong, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Altman called into the Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence conference and spoke highly of China’s talent and potential in the field, according to the WSJ. His company, OpenAI, is the developer of the popular chatbot ChatGPT and banned it in Hong Kong recently.
“China has some of the best AI talent in the world,” Altman said at the conference, adding, “So I really hope Chinese AI researchers will make great contributions here.”
Altman’s remarks elicited an enthusiastic response from the crowd, according to the WSJ.
The company currently restricts its product in mainland China, Iran, North Korea, Russia and Syria, according to its website, which states what countries do have access. It is currently available in Taiwan. (RELATED: Top American CEOs Are Quietly Jet Setting To China To Reforge Business Ties As US Relations Sour)
TOKYO, JAPAN – JUNE 12: OpenAI Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman leaves an event at Keio University on June 12, 2023 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images)
In May congressional testimony, Altman discussed the hazard of China overtaking the U.S. in the AI arms race.
“I mean, that is peril, which is you slow down American industry in such a way that China or somebody else makes faster progress,” Altman previously stated.
OpenAI has not given any justification for banning access in Hong Kong, according to the WSJ. However, Hong Kong has a national security law in place, making it illegal to condemn the government in many cases, which could pose a risk for the chatbot.
OpenAI did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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