In a recent Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing, Geoffrey Cain, a senior fellow at the Foundation for American Innovation, emphasized the urgent need to hold U.S. companies accountable for their involvement in providing China with artificial intelligence (AI) technology that enables the violation of human rights. Cain highlighted how AI is fueling China’s “surveillance state.” He emphasized the role played by American tech firms in contributing to this alarming situation.
One example Cain cited was ThermoFisher, a science corporation caught selling DNA collection equipment directly to Xinjiang police authorities. These authorities then utilized this equipment to gather genetic data on the Uyghur population, a religious minority in China, thus infringing upon their rights. Additionally, Cain pointed out that Microsoft’s Beijing-based laboratory, Microsoft Research Asia, has trained numerous AI leaders and developers who have found or joined companies involved in human rights abuses, such as SenseTime, Megvii, and iFlytek.
The Foundation for American Innovation, Cain’s organization, was established to ensure that technology serves human interests by promoting freedom, supporting strong institutions, bolstering national security, and driving economic prosperity.
However, China has employed AI to commit human rights abuses against religious minorities within its borders. Cain noted that the Chinese Communist Party has established an extensive AI-powered surveillance system called “Sky Net,” which employs AI-driven “alarms” that notify the police and intelligence services in response to various actions, including the unfurling of banners, the presence of foreign journalists in certain areas, and the mere presence of individuals from ethnic minority groups. The Chinese government unjustly accuses entire groups, such as the Muslim Uyghurs, of posing terrorist threats, leading to their relentless persecution through AI tools.
While some tech leaders, like Sam Altman of OpenAI, have advocated for closer cooperation with China, Cain argued that Chinese officials have demonstrated that such collaboration is unwarranted. He urged the abandonment of misguided idealism that believes working with Chinese companies and government bodies could lead to political changes, democratic discourse, or safer global AI regulations. Instead, he advocated for protecting American leadership in AI innovation and diverting talent and resources away from China.
Cain emphasized that the U.S. should take punitive measures against companies that assist China in its human rights abuses. American technology giants face no repercussions for their involvement in China’s surveillance state. Cain suggested that the subcommittee consider drafting a bill that mandates public corporations to publish due diligence reports regarding their activities in China, including the risks they encounter concerning human rights.
Additionally, he proposed creating a bill that criminalizes specific American business activities in China that directly or indirectly support human rights abuses by the Chinese Communist Party. Executives involved in developing any form of AI in partnership with Chinese entities, if it is likely to be exploited for the oppression of human rights and democratic values by the CCP, should face potential prison sentences.
Congress has shown an active interest in regulating AI this year. However, comprehensive legislation addressing various concerns of companies and interest groups has yet to be passed. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has been engaging with companies as he considers a comprehensive AI bill in the Senate, but a concrete proposal has yet to be introduced thus far.
The United States must take decisive action to safeguard human rights and prevent American technology from bolstering China’s oppressive AI systems. By holding companies accountable and fortifying American AI innovation, we can protect democratic values and champion human rights globally.