Washington needs to understand competition on AI fairly

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday to promote the development of artificial intelligence (AI). The order calls for federal priorities for innovation and enhancing agencies’ access to federal data. China is regarded as the only country competitive in AI besides the US. Consequently, Western public opinion believes that the order is targeted at China.

The order reminds people of the US state-run system. From the Manhattan Project, through the Apollo space program to the creation of the internet, US government played a decisive role.

Now it seems the Trump administration wants to follow suit.

Washington has been criticizing Made in China 2025 and expressing opposition to Beijing using government support to promote its hightech sector. Washington declared that Beijing is harming US private enterprises’ competitive edge.

But now the US has launched a government-backed initiative even before the China-US trade talks have ended.

The US wants to spur its AI development while preventing China from doing so. Washington has also limited visas for Chinese researchers in fields of AI and other high technology. The US has further restricted technological exports to China. These actions are contrary to fair market rules.

The US is going to extremes. Its actions and understanding of AI are not in line with AI’s development rules or the times we live in. AI is a comprehensive capability including mobile internet, smart sensors, big data and intelligent learning. Basic US AI technology is better than China’s and it has structural superiority in chips, innovation and high-tech talent. But China has the edge in big data accumulation, application and its market.

AI means unprecedented innovation. Evaluating AI development may be more complicated than other technologies. China leads the world in mobile payment, but China’s 4G network doesn’t rank first in the world.

China has numerous internet users. By combining 5G and AI, China might lead the world in some applications of AI. But Chinese people understand that China won’t overtake the solid US advantage in AI in the short term. Why should American people panic?

Defining 5G competition as a “new arms race” reflects the fact that some American people are trapped in a Cold War mentality. The definition of national competition has enlarged, but those who promote a “new arms race” still live in the old days.

On Monday, the US Defense Intelligence Agency released Challenges to Security in Space, a report that declared China and Russia threaten the US and other countries’ ability to use space as the two countries can target and destroy US satellites.

This shows that the US pursues an absolute advantage in important areas and the country’s absolute security. It seems that only absolute security can make Washington feel relieved.

But such absolute security doesn’t exist on this planet. Since human beings entered the modern age, the foundation of world security is a balance of power, not overwhelming superiority. Many American people have forgotten this with the US being the only superpower for a period of time.

In future, Washington will only get further from absolute security. Only when it understands that weaker countries won’t risk challenging the US will Washington feel more secure than those weaker countries.