Strider and SCSP Report: China's Ambitious Pursuit of AI Superiority
Joint Report by Strider and SCSP: Aiming for AI Superiority
A recent collaborative report from Strider Technologies, Inc. and the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP) presents a striking picture of China's strategic maneuvers in the realm of artificial intelligence (AI). This extensive exploration, titled "The Rise of AI Infrastructure in China: How AI Data Centers and Models Connect Military Ambitions and Global Ties," exposes how the People's Republic of China (PRC) is actively pursuing global dominance in AI through state-directed initiatives that merge commercial expansion with military modernization and strategic international engagements.
The report unveils a staggering commitment from the PRC, which has launched over 250 specialized AI data centers nationwide, aimed at achieving its ambitious 2025 goal to enhance processing power sufficient for large-scale AI systems. Strider and SCSP's findings suggest that China's actual processing capabilities significantly exceed previously stated goals, revealing a broader and longer-term infrastructure campaign than many anticipated.
Greg Levesque, CEO and co-founder of Strider, emphasizes the importance of the report, stating, "This should serve as a strategic warning for the United States and its allies. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is conducting a national campaign aimed at establishing superiority in AI, which is a cornerstone of its geopolitical strategy that fuses economic power, military modernization, and global influence." This statement underscores the view that China's AI infrastructure is not merely a national asset but also a platform that could reshape global power dynamics and establish the foundations for the future of AI deployment.
Ylli Bajraktari, president of SCSP, adds, "This report isn’t merely a set of findings; it is a strategic warning for the United States and our allies. China is not just developing AI; it is conducting a national campaign for AI superiority, which is integral to its global strategy that combines economic power, military strength, and worldwide influence. For the U.S. to remain competitive, AI infrastructure must centralize our national security strategy."
The report is groundbreaking in that it identifies 856 organizations within the PRC that are involved in developing AI data centers, comprising 318 direct stakeholders and their parent firms. Alarmingly, among the identified stakeholders, 88 maintain documented links with the People's Liberation Army (PLA) or defense industrial base in China, suggesting an inherent military intent behind China's AI construction efforts.
Beyond revealing the extensive scale of China's AI ambitions, the report highlights how the PRC is aggressively subsidizing both hardware and software through national policy mandates and local financial incentives. Novel technologies, especially "embedded intelligence," which allows machines to perceive and interact with the external world in real time, are already being integrated into PLA operations, with significant implications for surveillance, unmanned systems, and cognitive warfare.
Additional findings include the accelerated growth of AI data centers, with the number of operational centers taking off over 100% between 2023 and 2024. This surge indicates how rapidly China is gearing up to support the scalability and implementation of AI technologies. Furthermore, the report reveals that data centers associated with the PLA depend heavily on U.S. and allied software, highlighting the urgent need for export controls and licensing regimes for critical software tools used in AI model training, data center operations, and systems integration.
Of particular note, the report identifies current international collaborations among 318 entities with direct involvement in AI data centers, with 28 having partnered in AI research with organizations based in the United States, the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or Japan since 2017. Alarmingly, of these entities, 18 have also collaborated with PLA-affiliated research institutes. This suggests that international research channels may inadvertently support the development of AI capabilities within the PRC.
In conclusion, this comprehensive report paints a vivid and concerning picture of China's determined and multifaceted approach to conquering the AI landscape. You can explore the full report for an in-depth understanding of China's strategic ambitions and the implications for global competitiveness in AI.
About Strider
Strider is a leading strategic intelligence provider, helping organizations protect and advance their technology and innovation. By utilizing cutting-edge AI technology and proprietary methodologies, Strider transforms publicly available data into vital insights. This enhanced intelligence empowers organizations to proactively address and respond to risks associated with intellectual property theft by foreign governments, selective talent acquisition, and external partner engagements. Strider operates across 15 countries globally, with offices in Salt Lake City, Washington D.C., London, and Tokyo.
About SCSP
For further inquiries regarding the report, please contact Tara Rigler, Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs at SCSP. More information about SCSP can be found on their official website.