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Comment by hyperpallium2 | Hacker News Reader

Yes. But will they then innovate at the same rate?

Why wouldn't it accelerate it? Their innovation has either already surpassed that of the west or is going that direction.

Because the minefield of chinese tech IPOs in the past year. With scrutiny it hasnt gone well for most chinese tech.

I think the more you must guard your words, the things you say, watch how you act, and the more you grow up with this as a child?

The more restrictive your thoughts may be as an adult. The less 'free wheeling', and therefore, more locked into tight, controlled paths.

Further to that, even if the above is not significantly true, there is still the entire "does the work I want to do, the research, threaten PRC dogma in any way?"

And worse...

"Will the work I do, threaten PRC dogma in the future."

On top of all of that, a reduction of international collaboration with others in the field, and so on.

Of course, I could be entirely wrong. But I do think that "restrictive environment" leads to "less creative output", at least in visible output.

Bingo. That’s exactly why I don’t see China surpassing the US or the west anytime soon. They can clone Tesla or Apple as much as they want - but nothing truly groundbreaking will happen, since they have been “inspired” by the west for so long.

This racist superiority complex is the pride before the fall. What exactly is TikTok's recommendation algorithms or Huawei's 5G technology cloning?

Here's a backgrounder on the Huawei IP thefts: https://www.zdnet.com/article/us-charges-huawei-with-rackete...

TikTok's For You algorithm is pretty clearly based on YouTube and Netflix's published recommendation platforms, but I'm not sure why you're framing this so narrowly. The entire product is a Vine clone and they regularly steal content for marketing purposes (c.f. https://twitter.com/xTempex/status/1182185566999318529).

We don't really see this level of abuse from American or European firms who have ethnically Chinese executives. It's not really a matter of race; it's a corporate culture that is more common in highly-competitive markets with weak IP protections. Trying to frame it as racist isn't really productive, especially since the parent comment wasn't specifically talking about Han Chinese, but about the nation.

There is nothing wrong with being culturalist, to be so is absolutely not racist. A black, white, etc orphan child raised in communist China, would grow up in the same culture, with the same beliefs.

Those that decry 'racist', when one complains about China are indeed the true racists, for they think culture and race = the same thing.

They take it a step further by conflating the CCP with Chinese people, Chinese culture and the Chinese nation. This is a tactic I frequently see where proponents of the CCP seek to call any criticism or skepticism racist.

As an Israeli who is not very supportive of the Israeli government, I am very well familiar with this tactic.

> TikTok's For You algorithm is pretty clearly based on YouTube and Netflix's published recommendation platforms

This is true of virtually any recommendation system implemented anywhere and YouTube and Netflix most certainly did not invent any of the basic concepts involved. In fact the core algorithms for recommendations are very classic and the newest techniques can be credited to Microsoft research and Geoff Hinton.

It's the risk that has to be taken. Also it isn't racist a lot of techie in silicon valley are asian. It's a difference in philosophy if anything.

I think the parent comment was talking about innovation in the sense of Peter Thiel's idea of Zero-to-One innovations, not step-by-step improvements of existing technology. In this sense I agree because chinese culture is indeed seeking harmony and unity a lot and thereby seems prone to groupthink and to the detriment of new and different ideas. (Heresy and novelty, anyone?).

How is that racist? I’m talking specifically about the cultural aspects of growing up in China.

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