Digital war between US and China will affect research, says Rudd

A technology war between China and the United States has “barely begun” and will have major implications for global research in areas such as data analytics and robotics, Australia’s former prime minister Kevin Rudd has said.

The two countries may be able to resolve differences over tariffs and negotiate a trade deal, but China is already moving towards a decoupling of technology services that will create “two different digital worlds”, Rudd says.

This will include restricted access to China’s data systems and machine learning projects for university researchers. It will also affect banking, internet services and mobile telecommunications.