Recently, I attended the AI Frontiers Conference in Silicon Valley and witnessed amazing advances from Facebook, Microsoft, Google and Amazon. While attending various lectures and forums, I noticed that a majority of attendees were Chinese nationals. During lunch, my colleague and I engaged in conversation with some folks from China. I kept hearing how they could learn, invest and acquire technology in the US, then simply leave and take it home to China.
Many were looking to understand artificial intelligence (AI) platforms, our latest research and advances in neural networks, while some were interested in strategic acquisitions or acquiring top US AI talent.
Even the government has taken notice. “The Trump administration … is considering strict measures to block Chinese citizens from performing sensitive research at American universities and research institutes over fears they may be acquiring intellectual secrets,” according to the New York Times.
The Russians
The news is clogged every day with Russia and American politics. I believe their true intentions are not with elections but with US technological developments.
A number of Russian tech investors are in Silicon Valley. Since 2010, Russia-based strategic and venture investors have completed more than 300 funding rounds for US startups. Look at Russian venture capitalist Yuri Milliner. In 2009, before Facebook was the juggernaut we know today, Milliner poured $200m into the burgeoning tech giant. He is one of many.
At the very least, these investments are suspicious, and in the case of Milliner and his ties to the Kremlin, they could be dangerous.
The root of this
America does not produce enough students pursuing advanced degrees in science, maths and engineering. Take New York University’s Tandon School of Engineering as a microcosm. At the graduate level, roughly 80% are from India, China, Korea, Turkey and other foreign countries, according to the New York Times. Universities need enrolment and revenue. Who supplies that revenue? Students, no matter their intentions.
This problem is derived from the fact that we do not do a great job in elementary, middle and high schools to encourage Americans to pursue science and technology. It is especially true for young women. We have the talent pool but not the correct feeder system.
We also lack entrepreneurship training in many of our schools and universities. Israel, known as “startup nation”, has a program in its military that focuses on entrepreneurship and solutions. Why do we not do that in the US?
As a result of all of this, H-1B visas – employment-based visas for temporary workers – are being requested by major technology companies. This is not some cloak-and-dagger operation. Amazon is the biggest applicant. The e-commerce titan was the second-largest recipient of new H-1B visas in 2017, having been awarded 2,515. Google, Apple and Facebook were also among the top applicants.
While not all foreign workers come to work in the US with the intent of obtaining sensitive information, the influx of H-1B visa recipients does present an opportunity to scout and infiltrate top research programs and corporations.
The consequences
If we lose technology to foreign powers, we could lose top scientific and technological talent. Many private universities are already being acquired by foreign entities, especially China. This means top talent in science and research could be lured to China, Russia and other countries.
China could soon gain a competitive advantage in the areas of AI, the internet of things, quantum computing, space weaponry, drone technology and neuromorphic computing if we do not shape up. This is the stated goal of its government. Last July, China’s state council is reported to have resolved to position itself as the world’s pre-eminent practitioner of artificial intelligence within the next 12 years, and its policy for “mass entrepreneurship and innovation” includes the allocation of $320bn to support entrepreneurs to drive a structural shift from an industrial to service-based economy. The evidence is endless.
Again, we are allowing this to happen. All of our greatest advancements, both technologically and scientifically, could be leaving. And nothing that I have mentioned, as frightening and potentially damaging as it may be, is illegal.
How we win
The global economy is controlled completely by those who have the best technology. If we want to continue to be the most powerful country in the world, we must have the most advanced and powerful technology. How do we maintain it?
Beat China at its own game: Techcrunch’s Unicorn Leaderboard ranked startups valued at more than $1bn. The top five companies on the board have a total valuation of $248.4bn, with over 60% of this value coming from Chinese startups. According to Forbes contributor Anna Powers, science, technology, engineering and maths (Stem) support is the reason. “In China, Stem education is encouraged and valued. According to the US National Science Foundation, 31% of China’s bachelor’s degrees are awarded in engineering. In stark contrast, only 4% of US bachelor’s degrees were awarded in engineering.”
No foreign ownership of universities: If someone owns something, they have complete influence over it. It stands to reason that if an adverse foreign power owns a US university, its intentions may not be positive for America. Universities need to do a better job of managing their finances.
Recruit students from all over the country: We have talent in the midwest and the south. Let’s reduce admission criteria for US students pursuing maths and science degrees and get them with our top minds to create more top minds. Think of it like this. Our youth have the hardware to be brilliant – it is up to our top minds at universities to install the software.
Increase federal grants and loans for US citizens pursuing maths and science degrees: We must invest in our youth. We need to encourage more students to contribute to the fields of science and technology so that they will want to learn and then create here.
If the US wants to control its future, it cannot give it away. We need to institute the changes I have listed to put the US back on the path toward leading in the realm of technological innovation.
This is an edited version of an article first published by Forbes