Our AI Cold War

Donald Trump’s approach to artificial intelligence, rebranded as "superintelligence" (SI), centers on a "light-touch" regulatory philosophy heavily influenced by venture capitalist David Sachs. This strategy prioritizes open-source model development to challenge the market dominance of firms like OpenAI and Anthropic, while simultaneously navigating complex geopolitical tensions with China. Unlike the United States, where public discourse is dominated by fears of existential risk and job displacement, China views AI as a critical state-led tool for economic modernization and global competitiveness. While the two nations remain locked in a structural AI competition, their leaders maintain a surprisingly cordial relationship. Despite this, the deep mistrust between Washington and Beijing renders meaningful cooperation on AI safety protocols difficult, leaving the global trajectory of the technology largely defined by this zero-sum rivalry.