Encore: Inside China's AI boom: an American expert's view

The global AI race is evolving through distinct regional dynamics, with China leveraging its strengths in industrial production and a large pool of talented undergraduates to advance embodied AI. While North America retains a higher density of senior academic expertise, China’s ecosystem facilitates rapid deployment of robotic solutions in public infrastructure and commercial services. The integration of AI into research and education necessitates a shift toward verifying human-led creativity and practical skill acquisition, as AI tools increasingly automate routine coding and writing tasks. Future breakthroughs in artificial intelligence will likely depend on self-directed learning models and interaction-based data collection, reducing reliance on massive, static datasets. As these technologies mature, the focus for researchers and developers is shifting from theoretical paper production to creating scalable, real-world applications that solve tangible problems in daily life.