VentureBeat highlighted NATO’s announcement of an AI strategy and investments in “future-proofing” fund. The article cites CSET research analyzing Chinese public AI investments. Read an excerpt of the article below and the full article at VentureBeat.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the military alliance of 30 countries that border the North Atlantic Ocean, this week announced that it would adopt its first AI strategy and launch a “future-proofing” fund with the goal of investing around $1 billion. Military.com reports that U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will join other NATO members in Brussels, Belgium, the alliance’s headquarters, to formally approve the plans over two days of talks.

Speaking at a news conference, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that the effort was in response to “authoritarian regimes racing to develop new technologies.” NATO’s AI strategy will cover areas including data analysis, imagery, cyberdefense, he added…

…While U.S. — and now NATO — officials grow more vocal about China’s supposed dominance in military and defense AI, research suggests that their claims somewhat exaggerate the threat. A 2019 report from the Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) shows that China is likely spending far less on AI than previously assumed, between $2 billion and $8 billion. That’s as opposed to the $70 billion figure originally shared in a speech by a top US Air Force general in 2018.