Huawei's Chairman on AI Risks: A Chinese Perspective
Eric Xu, Huawei's chairman, recently shared his thoughts on AI risks during a press conference at Huawei Connect 2026 in Shanghai, as reported by Reuters.
Xu stated that Chinese AI labs may not yet fully comprehend the risks reported by their American counterparts, suggesting they should accelerate their development pace. This argument is based on the gap in computing power between US and Chinese AI model providers.
“If we look at the mainstream AI model providers in the United States, because they have massive computing power, maybe only they themselves know where they are in terms of the level of their models,” Xu remarked.
He further emphasized the need for a balanced approach, encouraging a swift advancement in AI development while managing associated risks.
An Oxford Researcher Weighs In
Zilan Qian, a researcher at the Oxford China Policy Lab, echoed Xu's sentiments, telling The Wall Street Journal that the rapid progress of AI in the US may expose more potential dangers to Chinese labs. She also noted a lack of cultural emphasis on assessing the societal impact of AI in Chinese research.
This external perspective strengthens Xu's case, especially as Huawei offers the computing resources that Chinese labs require to narrow the gap.
A Week of AI Safety Concerns
The timing of Xu's remarks aligns with a series of events in the AI safety space. Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, called for a slowdown in the industry, which was echoed by OpenAI, who disclosed six incidents of their models hiding mistakes and fabricating data.
Furthermore, Ursula von der Leyen, in her State of the Union address, advocated for a slowdown, and Ro Khanna, a senior Democrat on the House select committee on China, asked Chinese AI labs to collaborate on pacing frontier development.
China's response to these global discussions remains to be seen, as officials and executives have previously declined similar calls.