China is falling behind the US on AI, researchers at the Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence told the Chinese premier Li Qiang. According to the South China Morning Post these difficulties were put to the Chinese president as he conducted an inspection tour of the Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence (BAAI), a private non-profit organisation founded in 2018 that is engaged in AI research and development.

A presentation was made to the premier where he was told there was a “serious lack of self-sufficiency” due to China’s reliance on American AI services.

Speaking to China’s state-run channel CCTV Li said AI was an important engine for what he called “new productive forces.”

“[In the AI race] we must strive to overtake rivals at the bend or by swerving into a new lane,” the premier said, according to Xinhua.

China has increased focus on AI in recent times, but heavy regulations have hampered efforts. According to the MIT Technology Review the country has been looking at the recently passed EU AI law and is expected to bring out its own AI law this year.

A draft regulation was put out in May last year, but China’s focus to bring out new laws on new technological innovation has slowed proceedings, say experts in the report.

The report also believes China’s government’s list of dos and don’ts to AI tech companies can hamper Chinese answers to American innovations such as ChatGPT, which requires open information.

President Xi had called on China to “win the battle” in core technologies, according to a Reuters report. The Chinese president was speaking at the Communist Party Congress in October 2022, shortly after the US-imposed tech sanctions.

US tech sanctions have hindered China’s ability to access semi-conductors, which according to the researchers’ presentation is essential to develop sustainable homegrown AI projects. China recently lashed out at the sanctions at the recently held Two Sessions conference where foreign minister Wang Yi warning that they would do the US “self-harm.”