Young China Watchers

This month, Sam speaks with researcher, consultant, and former Yenching Scholar Danit Gal about the relationship between national culture and AI governance in China. She describes her current work on characterizing the Chinese approach to AI ethics. Danit also touches on her theory about the tool-partner spectrum of AI technologies, ranging from Google maps to Japan's virtual wife. China, she argues, is in the middle of the spectrum; the government is skeptical of true partnerships, while, for example, Buddhist monks are embracing AI use in monasteries. Danit synthesizes the various theoretical frameworks towards AI from the perspective of South Korea, Japan, and China, and sheds light on the disparate perspectives on this issue on the part of various Chinese experts and researchers. Danit also talks about her Yenching thesis, which explored the challenges of incorporating AI in a Chinese nursing home. She also talks about the danger of anthropomorphizing AI, specifically as it  applies to