Kyle Chan
Yes, there’s a direct throughline from the Great Firewall to China’s AI strength today. It cut off Chinese users from global / US platforms and created a protected market. This led to the rise of Chinese Internet giants, which laid the foundation for China’s AI boom. The cost has been enormous for Chinese users and developers. And it was far from the only factor. But I don’t think one can explain China’s success in AI today without tying it back to the Great Firewall as a kind of accidental industrial policy originally intended for political control.
Damien Ma
Remember the argument 15 years ago that the Great Firewall was going to put a ceiling on Chinese innovation. GFW lives, Chinese AI thrives.