U.S.-China technology competition

China envisions a system of patient capital where investors are committed to supporting hard tech companies through high-risk, high-reward R&D. So far, it has had limited success.

Reducing the rivalry to a simplistic “who’s winning” frame overlooks its complexity: The future of AI will be defined by multiple specialized and adaptable systems, not a single dominant architecture.

The U.S. and China find themselves headed for another high-stakes technology competition rooted in fears of being left behind and paranoia.

China’s major tech companies are uniquely positioned to capitalize on the shift to real-world applications for AI.

The future for Chinese tech companies will hinge on their ability to turn uncertainty into innovation – and opportunity.

Much attention has been given to semiconductors, but it’s time to look at other elements in the AI supply chain that provide China with an advantage – starting with electricity. 

U.S. tech CEOs have a clear financial interest in hyping the AI arms race, and the Trump administration is inclined to agree with that framing. 

DeepSeek’s success is not based on outperforming its U.S. counterparts, but on delivering similar results at significantly lower costs. The AI price war has begun.

A Chinese AI model is now as good as leading U.S. AI models, using only a tiny fraction of GPU resources available. This is a gamechanger for the global AI arms race.

The GenAI revolution is not merely a matter of innovation and economic growth. It’s a battle for geopolitical supremacy – and China is in the lead.

Beijing has thus far taken a more hands-off approach to AI development than might be expected. But as AI’s power becomes clearer, that could soon change.

With the incoming president's renewed threats of massive tariffs on China, it’s worth revisiting whether such policies actually achieve the desired result.