Industrial Maximalism and Its Discontents: Dan Wang on US-China Competition – # 104

The conversation centers on the US-China competition, contrasting China's "engineering state" with the US's "lawyerly society." Dan Wang, author of "Breakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future," discusses the industrial maximalism in China, the importance of technological self-sufficiency, and the preparedness for a potential cold war. He argues China embodies both greater capitalist competition and excess than America, and that China is winning the electrical age. The discussion touches on innovation, manufacturing, and automation, dissolving the idea that Chinese are not innovative. They also explore the potential impacts of AI, including the balance between optimism and existential risks, and the need for international cooperation to manage its development.