Listen to this Post
Introduction: Chinese AI Influence Spreads Through Global Belt and Road
In the midst of a global AI arms race, Chinese tech firms are expanding their digital footprint across the developing world. One notable player is Zhipu AI, an emerging artificial intelligence company from China, whose technology is rapidly spreading in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. This growth, aligned closely with China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), has drawn the attention—and concern—of OpenAI, the U.S.-based organization behind ChatGPT. OpenAI recently released a report warning about the geopolitical and strategic implications of Chinese-made AI systems becoming widely adopted in regions where governance structures are more vulnerable to influence.
the Original Report
OpenAI has issued a public warning about the expansion of Chinese AI firm Zhipu AI, stating that its presence in regions such as Vietnam, Indonesia, and parts of the Middle East has grown significantly. The report, released via OpenAI’s government relations division, outlines how Zhipu AI’s deployment aligns with China’s broader foreign policy goals, particularly under the Belt and Road Initiative, which aims to build economic and digital infrastructure in partner nations.
OpenAI argues that China’s government is directly involved in pushing adoption of its homegrown AI systems around the world. The concern is not purely commercial; it’s political. By embedding its AI technologies in foreign systems, Beijing can potentially influence data governance, information flow, and digital standards in host countries.
Zhipu AI, which specializes in large language models (LLMs) similar to ChatGPT, is seen as part of China’s push to counterbalance American dominance in the AI sector. The report does not allege wrongdoing by Zhipu AI itself but points to the potential risks posed by its state-aligned growth strategy.
This development takes place as AI becomes a strategic asset, not just a technological tool. With more governments depending on AI-driven infrastructure, the question of who builds the AI becomes as crucial as what it does.
What Undercode Say: China’s AI Strategy Isn’t Just Business—It’s Soft Power
Zhipu AI’s expansion isn’t accidental; it’s part of a calculated strategy to project Chinese influence via technology. While most headlines focus on U.S. companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind, China has been silently exporting its AI models to emerging markets where Western firms have less reach or regulatory hesitation.
In these countries—Vietnam, Malaysia, the UAE, and others—governments are eager to adopt AI for everything from governance to education. Zhipu AI provides a cost-effective and customizable solution, often paired with infrastructure deals via the Belt and Road Initiative. This symbiosis of AI deployment and geopolitical strategy makes China’s approach incredibly potent.
What’s particularly concerning is data sovereignty. AI systems rely heavily on training data, and the entities controlling these models often gain access to large-scale, sensitive information. If Zhipu’s LLMs are being used in government services or national security systems abroad, it raises serious questions about data privacy, surveillance, and influence operations.
Moreover, AI is not ideologically neutral. Language models encode values, censorship protocols, and socio-political norms. Western models tend to favor openness, transparency, and individual rights (albeit imperfectly), while Chinese models are more likely to reflect state-approved narratives and suppress dissent.
OpenAI’s warning is a call for strategic awareness, not just technological comparison. If Chinese models become the default in the Global South, they could establish de facto digital norms aligned with China’s worldview.
While the U.S. and EU struggle with domestic AI regulation, China is exporting its regulatory ecosystem through technology, a form of digital colonization that operates under the radar. It’s not enough for democratic nations to innovate—they must also compete for digital influence on the world stage.
This development also raises ethical questions. Should developing nations be seen as testing grounds for geopolitical experiments? Or do they deserve transparent, accountable, and diverse AI choices that don’t come with strategic strings attached?
For OpenAI, this is more than competitive anxiety. It’s a warning about the geopolitical consequences of ignoring soft-power projections embedded in code.
🔍 Fact Checker Results
✅ Zhipu AI is a real Chinese AI company known for developing large language models similar to ChatGPT.
✅ The Belt and Road Initiative has an established digital component, including AI cooperation agreements with developing countries.
✅ OpenAI’s government outreach team has previously published security concerns related to geopolitical uses of AI technologies.
📊 Prediction
In the next 12–18 months, we can expect Zhipu AI and similar Chinese firms to further entrench their technologies across the Global South, especially in regions lacking local AI ecosystems. Simultaneously, U.S. firms may ramp up diplomatic and commercial countermeasures, including open-source initiatives, AI literacy programs, and direct partnerships with foreign governments. The battlefield for influence is no longer limited to trade or military—it now spans algorithms, ethics, and language models.
References:
Reported By: xtechnikkeicom_cf1c7d34566df404121a069b
Extra Source Hub:
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit
Wikipedia
OpenAi & Undercode AI
Image Source:
Unsplash
Undercode AI DI v2
