#AI

Anthropic and OpenAI have repeatedly warned since mid-September about the risks of失控 (loss of control) in Recursive Self-Improvement (RSI), urging a slowdown in R&D to allow time for safety measures. Chinese AI players are advancing aggressively: Zhipu's Tang Jie disclosed the company's first RSI engineering practice on September 17, Xiaomi released the MiMo-V2.6 series on September 22 as a "key step," and Alibaba's Wu Yongming said Qwen is exploring RSI. Anthropic、OpenAI警示AI自我改进风险 中美科技巨头竞逐RSI Anthropic和OpenAI自9月中旬以来多次警告递归自我改进(RSI)的失控风险，呼吁放缓研发进度以争取安全保障时间。中国AI企业加速布局：智谱唐杰于9月17日披露公司首个RSI工程化实践，小米于9月22日发布MiMo-V2.6系列称为“探索RSI的关键一步”，阿里吴泳铭透露Qwen团队正在RSI探索中。尽管存在警示，资本市场仍对RSI叙事反应积极。

A new wave of AI tools is transforming video editing workflows, but 57% of creators still require moderate to heavy manual editing, and 85% insist on keeping final creative control. The editing tool market now comprises five major forces—Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve, CapCut, and AI-native platforms like Runway and Pika—competing for a growing middle ground of creators seeking professional capabilities without steep learning curves or subscription costs.

A 50-person pig farming equipment company in Foshan, led by Liu Wen, used AI to rewrite its software and generate marketing content, reducing customer acquisition costs from 1,500 yuan to near zero. The company now gets 30 new clients monthly, with new media revenue reaching 200,000-300,000 yuan in March 2025. The broader adoption shows AI's potential in traditional industries despite data and organizational barriers.

In December 2022, a Chinese J-11 fighter came within metres of a US RC-135 surveillance plane over the South China Sea; the US military called the manoeuvre unsafe while China blamed the American crew. Both sides released footage but neither accepted the other's account. The article argues that with autonomous fighter jets emerging, the US and China urgently need to establish rules to prevent similar close encounters from escalating.

Former Anthropic and OpenAI researcher Jacob Coxon said he is 90 per cent certain China already has spies inside US AI companies, without providing evidence. Coxon made the allegation in a PBD Podcast interview with Patrick Bet-David, arguing China could steal advances from leading US AI labs and close any technological gap.

Elon Musk's xAI has made Grok Bot free for all users, providing access to the flagship Opus 5.5 model and full X platform integration without API fees. The bot uses automatic "dynamic routing" to deploy models including Opus 5.5, Midjourney and Suno based on task requirements. Musk's platform is subsidizing Opus 5.5's typical cost of $4/MTok input and $20/MTok output.

European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maroš Šefčovič met with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao in Beijing on Thursday. The PRC side released only a one-sentence statement confirming the meeting. Šefčovič is scheduled to meet with He Lifeng on Friday.

According to Analysys data, Tencent's WorkBuddy reached 20.97 million monthly visits in June 2026, surpassing ByteDance's TRAE IDE (12.79M) and Alibaba's Qoder Work (7.88M) combined. WorkBuddy connects with WeChat, QQ, Enterprise WeChat and Telegram, allowing users to issue commands on mobile that execute on desktop with results pushed back via WeChat. The platform aims to become an "operating system for the Agent era" and has opened its ecosystem to over 100 partners.

Against the backdrop of US-China strategic stalemate, Chinese analysts advise firms to diversify trade and develop sanctions-evasion tools as US trade controls expand. Observers note the absence of a business delegation accompanying Xi to Washington may reflect China's insecurity about the trading relationship. A China-EU trade resolution is hoped for by mid-October, with further tensions looming if talks fail.

Xi Jinping's recent Washington visit showcased pageantry but low expectations, with both sides incentivized to preserve stability. The podcast discusses how Mao Zedong's writings on "strategic stalemate" may inform Xi's current approach, while noting his plan to recruit 100,000 young Americans to study in China over five years. Bloomberg reports also highlight new travel restrictions on AI talent and signals that Beijing recognizes the struggling economy.

This Sinocism show notes previews Xi Jinping's visit to Washington, covering the Scott Bessent-He Lifeng meeting in New York. Outstanding issues include a proposed AI hotline, details on an operationalized trade board, rare earth frustrations that may affect the Busan truce extension, and questions about Taiwan, Iran and Chinese automakers. The September Politburo meeting officially expelled Generals Zhang and Liu, while unverified Xi rumors circulated at the BRICS Summit in India.