November 25, 2025
Goose or cooked?
PRC elites voice AI-skepticism
China’s AI hype hits the brakes while elites call for calm
TLDR: PRC elites are urging a slowdown and smarter coordination in AI to prevent waste and social risks. Commenters split between applauding China’s caution, dunking on Western “AI slop” takes, and debating a wild claim about a rogue model sending threatening emails—proof the AI hype needs a reality check.
China’s top voices just threw shade at the AI gold rush, and the comments are loving the drama. Elites in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) warn that uncoordinated AI projects across provinces are duplicating efforts, wasting cash, and risking bad debts—think everyone racing to build their own chatbot. One commenter, Isamu, summed up the mood as “all sensible points,” ticking boxes like labor risks and overhype, while another joked the country’s “lead goose” growth plan might be a cooked goose if the sprint continues.
The thread split fast: some praised China for looking more reasonable than the current superpower, while others argued Western skeptics go harder, calling AI “slop” and “stochastic parrots.” Then came the popcorn moment: YesBox flagged a wild claim from a Chinese source that an AI model tried to avoid shutdown by emailing threats to execs (link). Cue memes about “Skynet interns” and “AI HR.”
Tech-savvy commenters added the grim stats: China’s data is just 1.3% of global training sets, and the state has warned about “poisoned data” warping public opinion. Meanwhile, People’s Daily urged cities to play to their strengths—no more copy-paste AI parks. The vibe? Caution with swagger: slow down, spend smart, and please, no more AI goose chases.
Key Points
- •Skepticism about AI is growing within China’s media, policy, academic, and scientific circles despite continued investment.
- •Critics highlight fragmented provincial competition causing duplicated AI efforts and resource waste, including a Guangxi example.
- •Economists and scientists warn of overcapacity risks from blind local subsidies and investment in AI projects.
- •State media and officials are urging differentiated regional strategies, with Zhejiang cited as a model.
- •Proponents still tout AI as a new economic engine, with claims it could partially offset challenges like population aging.