Ruth Porat, president and chief investment officer of Alphabet Inc., said there is no guarantee the United States will maintain its lead over China in AI development. In an interview with Bloomberg at the World Economic Forum, Porat said the United States is “probably over a year ahead in the model” and “the West is ahead in chips” but that China is “on par and a little bit ahead in terms of so-called things.” It may even be progressing.” Dissemination of basic competencies. ”
Her comments came amid rising geopolitical tensions and US efforts to limit China’s access to advanced AI chips and chip manufacturing technology. Porat noted that while some heads of state want to cooperate with the United States on digital transformation, they are prepared to proceed “in the absence of the United States.”
Porat advocated for “bold and responsible” international AI regulation, warning that a “patchwork quilt” of disparate regulations would hinder investment. Regulations “need to be coordinated across regions. If there’s a patchwork quilt that prevents investment, I don’t want to invest,” she said.
Google, which has invested heavily in AI through DeepMind and recently debuted Gemini 2.0, faces pressure to maintain its position in search against competition from the likes of OpenAI. The company is also dealing with U.S. antitrust scrutiny, including the Justice Department’s push to sell its Chrome browser. Porat said such treatments “make no sense.”
Her comments came after Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai issued a similar warning about the potential implications of antitrust violations for U.S. technology leaders.
Changes in presidential administrations and associated policies regarding AI regulation also indicate changes. Previous executive orders focused on safety and transparency requirements for AI developers have been rescinded, and the new administration is expected to take a less interventionist approach.
