Chinese and U.S. AI Applications in Public Administration: Lessons and Implications for Ukraine

Sinica Podcast

Kaiser Kuo

Culture, China News, Hangzhou, Chinese, International Relations, Chongqing, Beijing, Sichuan, Currentaffairs, China, Politics, Chengdu, Shanghai, Guangzhou, China Economy, News, China Politics, Business, Film, Shenzhen

4.8 • 676 Ratings

🗓️ 14 August 2025

⏱️ 79 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Artificial intelligence has been a frequent topic on Sinica in recent years — but usually through the lens of the two countries that have produced the leading models and companies: the United States and China. We’ve covered generative AI, national strategies, governance frameworks, and the geopolitical implications of AI leadership.

This webinar, broadcast on the morning of August 14, broadens that lens to explore how other countries — and especially Ukraine — are approaching AI in the public sector. Around the world, governments are experimenting with AI well beyond chatbots and text generation: China’s “City Brain” optimizes traffic, energy use, and public safety; U.S. agencies are streamlining services and automating benefits processing; and elsewhere, smart grids, predictive infrastructure planning, and AI-enabled e-governance are reshaping public administration. These projects reveal both the promise and the complexity of bringing AI into government — along with valid concerns over privacy, fairness, and inclusiveness.

We’ll look at what lessons Ukraine might draw from U.S. and Chinese experiences, the opportunities and challenges of adapting these practices, and the strategic risks of sourcing AI solutions from different providers — especially in the context of Ukraine’s eventual postwar reconstruction.

Joining us are three distinguished guests:

Dmytro Yefremov, Board Member of the Ukrainian Association of Sinologists, with deep expertise in China’s political and technological strategies and Ukraine’s policy landscape.
Wang Guan, Chairman of Learnable.ai in China, bringing extensive experience in AI applications for public administration and education.
Karman Lucero, Associate Research Scholar and Senior Fellow at Yale Law School’s Paul Tsai China Center, whose work focuses on Chinese law, governance, and the regulation of emerging technologies.

Thanks to the Ukrainian Platform for Contemporary China, the Ukrainian Association of Sinologists, and the Center for Slavic, Eurasian, and East European Studies at the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill for organizing and sponsoring today’s event. Special thanks to Vita Golod for putting together the panel and inviting me to moderate.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Hey, cynical listeners.
0:10.7	Today, the last in a series of webinars I've had the honor of moderating over recent months.
0:16.3	This one is called Chinese and U.S. AI applications in public administration, lessons and implications for
0:24.6	Ukraine. Once again, the wonderful Vita Khoload picked a great group of panelists, and that made my job
0:32.2	really easy. I hope you enjoy. Good morning, good afternoon or good evening depending on where you are.
0:40.3	I am Kaiser Guo.
0:41.3	I'm host of the cynical podcast and I am delighted to be moderating today's discussion
0:46.3	Chinese and US AI applications in public administration lessons and implications for Ukraine. First, I'd like to thank the Ukrainian
0:56.1	platform for contemporary China, the Ukrainian Association of Synologists, and the Center for Slavic
1:01.9	Eurasian East European Studies, the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, for organizing
1:06.6	and sponsoring today's event. And of course, my deep thanks to Vita Holod, who of course, once again, is instrumental
1:14.7	in organizing this series.
1:17.8	This is the last in a long series of programs that we've done about the future of Ukraine
1:25.3	and its relationship to China.
1:27.7	So on Cynica, artificial intelligence has been a frequent topic, of course, in recent years.
1:33.9	I had a lot of work experience related to it.
1:37.2	I had the privilege of working very closely with a leading AI scientist, Andrew Eng, when he was at Baidu.
1:43.4	But almost always, when we have discussed it, it's been in the context of the two countries
1:48.7	that have produced the leading models and the leading companies, the United States and China,
1:54.7	of course.
1:55.2	We have looked at generative AI on the show, at national AI strategies, at AI governance frameworks, and at the geopolitical
2:04.7	implications of AI leadership. But today we really want to broaden that lens. We're going to
	...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 7 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Kaiser Kuo, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Kaiser Kuo and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.