The Race to AI Dominance: US and Chinese Approaches Differ

The United States and China are locked in a race for dominance in artificial intelligence, including its applications and diffusion. American and Chinese AI firms like OpenAI and DeepSeek respectively have captured global attention and major companies like Google and Microsoft have been actively investing in AI development. While the US currently boasts world-leading AI models, China is ahead in some areas of AI research and application. With the release of US and Chinese AI action plans in July, we may be on the cusp of a new phase in US-China AI competition. Why is AI so important for a country’s global influence? What are the strengths of China’s AI strategy? And what does China’s new AI action plan tell us about its AI ambitions? To discuss these questions, we are joined by Owen Daniels. Owen is the Associate Director of Analysis at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology and a Non-Resident Fellow at the Atlantic Council. His recently published article in Foreign Affairs co-authored with Hanna Dohmen -- titled China’s Overlooked AI Strategy -- provides insights into how Beijing is utilizing AI to gain global dominance and what the US can and should do to sustain and bolster its lead. Timestamps [00:00] Start [02:05] US Policy Risks to Chinese AI Leadership [05:28] Deepseek and Kimi’s Newest Models [07:54] US vs. China’s Approach to AI [10:42] Limitations to China’s AI Strategy [13:08] Using AI as a Soft Power Tool [16:10] AI Action Plans [19:34] Trump’s Approach to AI Competition [22:30] Can China Lead Global AI Governance? [25:10] Evolving US Policy for Open Models

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The Race to AI Dominance: US and Chinese Approaches Differ is an episode from China Global by The German Marshall Fund.

This episode is 00:28:25 long.

This episode was published on Aug 19, 2025.

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