Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wangissues stark warning about Americas need to keep pace with China on AI

Alexandr Wang, the world’s youngest self-made billionaire and CEO of the $14 billion company Scale AI, has become one of the most important voices on artificial intelligence.And the message he is sharing now is that the US is at risk of falling behind.“The Chinese Communist Party has enacted a whole-of-government approach to leading in AI — an AI master plan,” he said.

“They want to be the leader by 2030 … their approach integrates their economy, their government and every part of the Chinese society to ensure that they’re able to come out ahead.”And, he admitted, that unnerves him.“One of the things I’m really concerned about is, if China races ahead on AI — and, let’s say, they start applying AI to their military and their cyber operations more effectively than we do in the United States — they’ll be able to hack into our systems.They’ll be able to hack into our energy grid and shut it off.”At 28, he has the attention of Congressmen, CEOs and celebrities — and the ability to influence policy.Since moving to San Francisco nearly a decade ago, he’s gotten to know all of the right people in Silicon Valley (Sam Altman even lived with him for a few months) and has become a fixture at global events like the Allen & Company Conference in Sun Valley, Davos, and, most recently, the Paris AI Summit, where world leaders from Narendra Modi to Emmanuel Macron seek his counsel.Now, he’s helping the US approach to AI — and believes the time is right: “This administration has been super focused on AI, thinking a lot about how to ensure American leadership.”This week, after testifying before the House Energy and Commerce Committee and unveiling his vision for America’s AI strategy, Wang spoke with me about why this moment is so urgent, why he’s prioritizing time with government leaders (he sat for four and a half hours in front of Congress) and why he believes Silicon Valley is committed to helping the US win the race.Wang tol...