The US and China are Definitely Racing, but with different objectives

Paul Verhagen argues that the United States and China are not simply competing in the same AI race, but are pursuing fundamentally different models.

In the US, AI development is largely driven by private companies seeking ever more capable systems, while China is focused more directly on how AI can serve state priorities — from industry, education and healthcare to censorship and surveillance. That makes it difficult to say who is “ahead”: countries can advance not only by innovating faster, but also by slowing competitors through export controls, chip restrictions and access to critical materials.

Verhagen also points to DeepSeek as a reminder that technological leadership can shift quickly, and argues that the deeper difference lies in governance. China has long asked how disruptive technologies should be controlled, while Western governments have largely allowed technology companies to set the pace.

As a result, firms such as OpenAI, Meta and other major tech companies have become geopolitical actors in their own right, despite lacking the democratic institutions traditionally used to manage power, risk and accountability. This tension between innovation, state control and institutional oversight is a central theme of The Techtonic Shift.

Original article available here