China Pushes Back as AI Raises New Fears

Over the weekend, Dario Amodei, the chief executive of Anthropic, published a long essay.

He called for a global slowdown in AI development.

He also said Washington should actively impede Beijing’s progress.

He said that would help the United States keep a technological edge.

So this was not just a general warning.

It was also a direct call to hold China back.

Exactly. And China reacted strongly on Monday.

A foreign ministry spokesperson used the word “fearmongering”.

The spokesperson also warned against confrontation and vicious competition.

The official said that would only disrupt global AI governance.

That sounds like Beijing wants the debate to stay global, not turn into a simple two-sided race.

Yes, that is the point.

In a state-run magazine on Sunday, China’s top intelligence official wrote about AI.

He said AI could threaten the Communist Party’s hold on power.

He also said hostile forces and people with bad motives were using AI in a propaganda war.

He also mentioned a cognitive war.

That language is striking.

It sounds like officials see AI as both a tool and a threat.

That is right.

President Xi has already said AI should always remain under human control.

So Beijing is not simply rejecting concern about AI.

It is warning that the wrong kind of competition could make the problem worse.

And that helps explain why this argument matters beyond one essay.

Grace, thanks.

Thames Water has changed plans for its giant reservoir as pressure grows around the project.

Now we go to Ethan, our LinguaWire correspondent for environment.

Thanks, Daniel. This is about water, land, money, and a very long timetable.

Thames Water has amended the blueprint for the White Horse reservoir in Oxfordshire.

The company says the change means more consultation with landowners and others whose land may be affected.

The reservoir is planned near Abingdon.

It is meant to hold 150 billion litres of water.

That is enormous.

The scale alone makes this feel like a national project, not just a local one.

It really does.

The site is also supposed to be largely above ground.

Walls up to 25 metres high will hold the water.

That design has made the project controversial for years.

Campaigners say Thames Water has underestimated the cost and overstated the project’s value.

And the numbers have moved a lot, haven’t they?

Yes. The estimated cost has risen from £2.2 billion to between £5.5 billion and £7.5 billion.

A review last year also more than tripled the site to 38 square kilometres.

The plan now needs extra building work.

It also needs new habitat creation.

And it needs changes to nearby solar farms and rivers.

So the blueprint has become much bigger, and much more expensive.

Exactly.

Thames says the reservoir is needed.

The south-east has more people and a changing climate.

That is putting pressure on water supplies.

The company also says there could be a shortfall of more than 2 billion litres a day by 2055.

That gives the company a strong case, but local opposition still seems likely to stay.

Yes, and that is the real balance here.

People want new water storage.

They also worry about cost, land, and the size of the project.

Thames aims to submit a planning application by late 2026.

So this is still moving forward, but very slowly and with more debate ahead.

Ethan, thanks.

Let’s look at three useful words from the second report.

reservoir

A reservoir is a large place where water is stored. In the report, it was used for the planned White Horse reservoir near Abingdon.

We walked past a reservoir on the hill, and the water looked very still.

consultation

Consultation means a process of asking people for views before a decision. In the report, it was used for the more consultation with landowners.

The city opened a consultation before changing the bus route.

blueprint

A blueprint is a detailed plan for building something. In the report, it was used for the reservoir plan that Thames Water has amended.

Engineers showed us the blueprint for the new station.

has amended

We use the present perfect for a change that started in the past and still matters now.

It uses has or have with the past participle.

Example one: “Thames Water has amended the blueprint for the White Horse reservoir in Oxfordshire.”

Example two: “The estimated cost has risen from £2.2 billion to between £5.5 billion and £7.5 billion.”

Repeat after me: has amended