The U.S. and China Are Pursuing Different AI Futures
IEEE Spectrum AI
•
Machine Learning
LLMs
AI Safety
AI Regulation
Money has been invested in AI than it took to land on the moon. Spending on the technology this year is projected to reach up to US $700B, almost double last year’s spending. Part of the impetus for this frantic outlay is a conviction among investors and policymakers in the United States that it needs to “beat China.” Indeed, headlines have long cast AI development as a zero-sum rivalry between the U. S. and China, framing the technology’s advance as an arms race with a defined finish line. The narrative implies speed, symmetry, and a common objective.