Technological tensions between China and the United States are boiling. As the two largest investors in Artificial Intelligence (AI) research, and homes to the world’s biggest internet companies both nations are core to the development and deployment of AI technology. In order for a secure, unified global approach to issues related to Artificial Intelligence to emerge, collaborative approaches to these issues between both countries are necessary. The summary of the Exploring AI Issues Across the United States and China series will be released during this event. This has been Asia Society Northern California's pilot effort in technology diplomacy.  

Exploring AI Issues Across the United States and China is a collection of case studies exploring AI issues across the U.S. and China, featuring perspectives from AI policy experts and researchers across North America, Asia, and Europe.

This off the record discussion will feature some of the case study authors, and will reflect on key takeaways from the research and the current state of global AI governance as well as US/China digital policy relations.

Speakers:

• Samuel Curtis, AI Policy Researcher at The Future Society 
• Sébastien Krier, Founder & AI Policy Expert, Dataphysix Ltd
• Benjamin Cedric Larsen, Ph.D. Fellow at Copenhagen Business School (CBS) and Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)
• Marshall Peihang Li, Undergraduate, Political Economy and Public Policy, University of California, Berkeley
• Heather Evans (Moderator), Director of Frontier Technology Research, Asia Society Northern California

AGENDA

Date: Wednesday, September 30, 2020 from 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

11:00 a.m.    Program Begins
12:00 p.m.    Program Concludes

Students who would like to attend please contact Asia Society via email at [email protected]. 

Link to join virtually via Zoom will be emailed the day before and an hour before the program is scheduled to begin by Rexille Uy, Director of Programs ([email protected]).  This will be a Zoom meeting; we encourage participants to turn on their cameras to make this session as interactive as possible.  

SPEAKERS

Samuel Curtis is an AI Policy Researcher at The Future Society and a Project Manager for their new collaborative initiative, CAIAC (Collective and Augmented Intelligence Against COVID-19). He is a Schwarzman Scholar alumnus, and his Master's research on facial recognition technology in China was featured in a publication by the Beijing Academy of AI. He engages with the Montreal AI Ethics learning community and is a contributor to the China Tech Blog.

Sébastien Krier joined the Office for Artificial Intelligence as a policy adviser in 2018, a government joint-unit responsible for designing and overseeing the implementation of the United Kingdom’s AI strategy. He is the Founder of Dataphysix Ltd in London and currently advises public and private organizations on policy, regulation, and strategies that maximize the benefits of AI, while minimizing potential risks. He is a Fellow at the Royal Society of Arts and sits on various technical and advisory boards.

Benjamin Cedric Larsen is the Exploring AI Series Editor and a Ph.D. Fellow at Copenhagen Business School (CBS) and Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), as well as a Visiting Researcher at Stanford’s Asia Pacific Research Center. Benjamin holds a dual master's degree in public management from CBS and CAS in Beijing. Prior to pursuing his doctoral degree, Benjamin worked professionally in China, holding positions across the Danish Foreign Ministry as well as China’s technology industry (NJU Electronics / JD AI). Benjamin’s research interests relate to the organization of AI innovation, with a particular focus on the dynamics playing out in China. His research looks at the organization of leading AI ecosystems while highlighting the role of the state in the governance of digital platforms that shape innovation in AI.

Marshall Peihang Li studies Political Economy and Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley. Raised in Beijing, China, Marshall now serves as a research assistant at Stanford University, investigating US-China relations and comparative politics in the context of higher education systems. He is the recipient of the Cal Alumni Leadership Scholarship, and the Chinese translator of "Davos 2020: Global Science Outlook Penal". Marshall also serves as the Vice President of California Lightweight Rowing team and is well known for his poetry and culinary skills.

Heather Evans (Moderator) is the Director of Frontier Technology Research at Asia Society Northern California. She studied as a Schwarzman Scholar at Tsinghua University in Beijing. Her master’s research at Tsinghua focused on evolving data governance policies. Heather has worked as an entrepreneur and civil servant. She served as the first Artificial Intelligence Senior Advisor to the Provincial Government of Ontario, helping to establish the Vector Institute of Deep Learning. She also started two businesses, in the spaces of Natural Language Processing and 3D Printing. Heather has collaborated with the National Academies of Science, the Royal Society and continues to mentor young entrepreneurs and policymakers.