US-China AI Competition: The Path Is More Important Than the Technology

Artificial intelligence (AI) is leading a new wave of technological revolution, becoming a key area of competition among major powers. China and the United States firmly occupy the top tier of global AI development. The U.S. leads in cutting-edge technology and high-end markets due to its technological first-mover advantage, while China rapidly expands its application scenarios relying on its vast market and complete manufacturing foundation. The competition in technology among major powers is not merely a technical contest, but a comprehensive struggle involving technological development, industrial application, and national strategy. To fully understand the AI competition landscape between China and the U.S., one must not only look at the current technological strength but also conduct comparative analysis from the perspectives of development models and strategic choices. What is the current state of AI development between China and the U.S.? What advantages and shortcomings do both sides have in key areas? What are the differences in the AI development models of the two countries? How will this competition unfold in the future?

Strength: A Comparison of Core AI Technologies, Underlying Foundations, and Industrial Applications between China and the U.S.

In terms of technology and talent, the U.S. is overall ahead, but the gap is narrowing. In terms of models, the U.S. maintains a lead of about 7 months in the performance of cutting-edge AI large models, but Chinese large models are continuously achieving performance breakthroughs despite limited computing power, with the gap narrowing; in chip technology, the U.S. monopolizes the design and research and development of high-end chips, while China has formed advantages in wafer manufacturing, testing, and packaging, with the market share of domestic chips steadily increasing; in terms of computing infrastructure, the U.S. accounts for 75% of global intelligent computing capacity, while China accounts for 15%, but China’s computing capacity is growing rapidly, with high scheduling efficiency and low costs; in terms of talent, the U.S. gathers over half of the world’s top AI researchers, but the total number of researchers in China is close to that of the U.S., and the return of talent is accelerating.

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