According to McKinsey, we are in the midst of a generative artificial intelligence (AI) revolution, with this technology expected to add up to $4.4 trillion annually to the global economy. But the race for leadership in AI is about more than just economic gain. It's about which national values shape our future, whether they influence freedom and openness versus control and surveillance.
For the past 30 years, America has led a global technology revolution, driven by values like freedom of expression and entrepreneurship. These values have not only brought American companies to the forefront, but they have also spread democratic principles around the world. As American-made technology crosses borders, it has the potential to strengthen freedom and democracy around the world, making it critical that America maintains its technology leadership, especially in the field of AI.
But America's technology leadership is under siege.
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China has launched a $1.4 trillion plan to replace the United States as the innovation leader, investing heavily in tomorrow's technologies such as AI. These investments are paying off. An Australian study found that China leads the US in 37 of 44 strategic technologies tracked in a year-long project that examined 2.2 million data points. China has vastly surpassed the US in high-tech manufacturing and 5G, and could soon beat the US in quantum computing, according to a report from Harvard University. Similarly, a National Security Council study on artificial intelligence found that China is poised to overtake the United States as the world leader in AI by 2030. These trends are alarming, and U.S. leaders must be intentional about how they address them.
Additionally, major U.S. technology companies are currently being forced to make product changes in response to Europe's Digital Markets Act (DMA), and these changes could erode people's online experience, making it clear that This is despite the fact that it is aimed at propping up Europe's struggling technology sector. European policymakers are prioritizing regulation over innovation, hindering companies' success. Research shows that privacy laws make it difficult for startups to secure venture capital funding.
To make matters worse, some of the restrictions targeting the American technology industry are like friendly fire. In Washington, several restrictions proposed by lawmakers and federal agencies risk harming major U.S. technology companies and complicating access to popular services such as widely used search engines and express delivery services. There is. While America's homegrown innovators in generative AI are rapidly emerging as world leaders in the field, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), led by Commissioner Lina Khan, is using limited taxpayer funding to I've been investigating them.
As the competition for technology leadership between the United States and China becomes more important and intense than ever, Washington is creating headwinds that threaten to undermine progress in both American technology and American values. . For example, a new study from the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) finds that “the FTC's newly aggressive antitrust enforcement against technology companies threatens U.S. dominance in AI development and weakens the U.S. economy.” did.
If things continue like this, China will lead the world in AI development. A future in which China takes the lead and sets the standard for this critical technology will look very different from a future in which America is the leader in her AI. China restricts people's ability to express themselves, maintains a comprehensive surveillance network to surveil its citizens, and steals intellectual property from companies seeking to do business in China. China has been ranked last in the world in internet freedom for nine consecutive years. The values underpinning a China-dominated AI future are in stark contrast to American values, and will undoubtedly set back freedom rather than advance it.
It is not inevitable that the United States will maintain its global leadership position in technology. But losing it is not inevitable either. Through smart policy decisions that align with our history and values, America can maintain its innovation advantage. It means slowing the spread of foreign digital authoritarianism, promoting the free flow of information within and across borders, and leveraging technology to get everyone online. If we use the lessons of the past to inform the future, America will lead her AI revolution and continue to lead the world in innovation.
Former New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez and former Federal Election Commission Chairman Bradley A. Smith are directors of the American Edge Project.
The views expressed in this article are the author's own.
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