Deciphering the U.S.-China AI Showdown

In the rapidly evolving arena of artificial intelligence (AI), the rivalry between the United States and China has escalated to unprecedented levels. Beyond mere technological supremacy, it has evolved into a pivotal race that could reshape the very foundations of global geopolitics and military capabilities. A vital facet of this rivalry is the military AI competition between the United States and China, as both nations vie to develop advanced AI systems for defense and strategic applications.

In the webinar series, “U.S.-China Generative AI Competition,” presented by the Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis (CCA), CCA Affiliated Researcher Lizzi. C. Lee talks to top experts from academia, industry and policy to gain their insights on China’s AI advancements, the challenges posed by AI adoption, and the opportunities it presents to both China and the world.

Join us for the third online panel discussion in the series on Wednesday, November 29, 10:00-11:00 a.m. ET to explore the current state of this rivalry, dissecting the remarkable advancements in generative AI achieved by influential players such as OpenAI, Google, Baidu, Tencent, and Alibaba and the implications of this competition, especially its impact on global security. The discussion will also delve into financial investments, funding trends, and AI research metrics in both the United States and China; the concerns raised by China's application of AI in surveillance and military contexts; the consequences of U.S. sanctions on Chinese AI companies; and the continually evolving landscape of U.S. policy measures.

In this webinar, Lizzi C. Lee will speak with Paul Scharre, Executive Vice President and Director of Studies at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) and Paul Triolo, Senior Vice President for China and technology policy lead at Albright Stonebridge Group.

To watch the first and second webinars in the series, please visit Asia Society’s YouTube page.

SPEAKERS

Paul Scharre is the Executive Vice President and Director of Studies at CNAS. He is the award-winning author of Four Battlegrounds: Power in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. His first book, Army of None: Autonomous Weapons and the Future of War, won the 2019 Colby Award, was named one of Bill Gates’ top five books of 2018, and was named by The Economist one of the top five books to understand modern warfare. TIME magazine named him in 2023 as one of the “100 most influential people in AI.”

Mr. Scharre previously worked in the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) where he played a leading role in establishing policies on unmanned and autonomous systems and emerging weapons technologies. He led the Department of Defense (DoD) working group that drafted DoD Directive 3000.09, establishing the department’s policies on autonomy in weapon systems. He also led DoD efforts to establish policies on intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance programs and directed energy technologies. Mr. Scharre was involved in the drafting of policy guidance in the 2012 Defense Strategic Guidance, 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review, and secretary-level planning guidance.

Paul Triolo is currently Senior Vice President for China and technology policy lead at Albright Stonebridge Group, where he advises clients in technology, financial services, and other sectors as they navigate complex political and regulatory matters in China and around the world. He is a Senior Associate with the Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He has served in senior positions within the U.S. government for more than 25 years, focusing primarily on China’s rise as a science, technology, and cyber power. 

Mr. Triolo was most recently founder, practice head, and managing director of the geo-technology practice at Eurasia Group, focusing on global technology policy issues, cybersecurity, internet governance, information and communications technology (ICT) regulatory issues, and emerging areas such as 5G deployment, automation, artificial intelligence, green tech, and fintech/blockchain. He also serves as a senior advisor at the Paulson Institute. He received an MA in international relations from the Catholic University of America and a BA in electrical engineering from Penn State University.

Lizzi C. Lee (moderator) is an Affiliated Researcher on the Chinese Economy at the Asia Society Policy Institute’s (ASPI) Center for China Analysis (CCA). Ms. Lee is an economist turned journalist. She graduated from MIT’s Ph.D. program in Economics before joining the New York-based independent Chinese media outlet Wall St TV. She is currently the host of "The Signal Live with Lizzi Lee" powered by The China Project, where she interviews the most knowledgeable minds on China for analysis of the ever-evolving business and technology ecosystem.