Global Struggle Between America and China, as Well as the West and East, on multiple AI battlefronts, as described by Aakar Patel
In a striking echo of the Cold War era, the world finds itself in the midst of a new race - this time, not for space dominance, but for artificial intelligence (AI) superiority. The stakes are high, as nations vie for global dominance in this burgeoning technology.
The fear of losing out to China, a rising AI power, has become a national security concern for America. With China's rapid advancements, there's a palpable anxiety that the West could cede its technological edge if China develops AI first. This fear is not unfounded, given China's significant strides in AI, despite US Presidents' restrictions on China's access to sophisticated computer chips for several years.
The AI race is not just a contest between East and West; it's a battle between the West and Asia as well. Democracies in developing nations are finding themselves drawn towards the United States, but they also recognise this as a competition primarily between America and Asia.
The success of AI development is unexpected, especially in the case of DeepSeek, an AI chatbot that became the number one download on app stores just five days after its release. The surprise success of DeepSeek, despite the US restrictions, serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of technological advancement.
The goal in this race is not merely to achieve human-level intelligence, but to surpass it. The ambition is for the AI to improve itself, a prospect that is both exhilarating and daunting.
The spending on AI research is vast, outstripping the funds allocated to NASA and the Soviet space program combined. The Americans' most spectacular achievement was the human landings on the moon in 1969, a feat that required a budget of 4% of the total federal government's expenditure at the time.
However, the AI race is unlike the space race in one crucial aspect - it is primarily driven by corporates, not public interest or national pride. The race to develop superintelligence touches the core interests of the companies and nations involved.
The European Union and Russia are not significant competitors in the AI field. The main corporate competitors in the United States aiming for human-level AI include Google, Facebook (Meta), Elon Musk's ventures, Microsoft, and OpenAI. European companies like Mistral, which focuses on open-source AI models, are making strides, with products like the chatbot 'Le Chat' challenging ChatGPT in France. Another notable competitor is Anthropic, a US-based AI firm that collaborates with OpenAI on mutual system evaluations to improve safety but remains a distinct competitor in the AI space.
China, too, is a formidable competitor. In 2025, China has the capacity to resist any potential domination in the AI race, a testament to its determination not to be forced into a similar position as it was during the "century of humiliation" under British rule.
The emergence of DeepSeek is being compared to the "Sputnik moment" in the space race. Just as Sputnik, the Soviet satellite, going into orbit in 1957 shocked the world, DeepSeek's success has sent ripples through the tech industry.
In a bid to maintain American dominance in AI, a $500-billion project was announced in January, aiming to build data centres and electricity plants. Led by three companies and US President Donald Trump, this project underscores the importance of AI to the nation's future.
As we look to the future, one thing is clear: the race to develop superintelligence is not a side project. It is a race that touches the core interests of the companies and nations involved, a race that will shape the course of our future.
