Natalie Kittrow

But it sounds like AI may just be a different beast.

Right.

You can't force innovation from a top-down strategy.

So is that the main disadvantage that China sees itself having vis-a-vis the U.S.?

Are there others?

These are pretty significant handicaps that China has.

Just to summarize what you've said, it's an imperfect environment for innovation, less powerful chips, and this talent issue.

But at the same time, we've also spent the better part of this conversation talking about all the ways in which China is ahead in making AI practically useful in people's lives and making sure it is everywhere.

So just to return to that question that we wrestled with in the beginnings

of this.

Is China coming out on top in the global AI race?

Vivian, do you think there's a lesson for U.S.

companies in China's approach to AI?

Because it does seem as though the ambition of reaching toward this superhuman intelligence is so quintessentially American.

It's the biggest, most innovative version of this tech possible.

But it's also potentially backfiring in a sense because it seems to be turning a lot of people against this technology very forcefully.

Whereas focusing on more mundane, maybe less ambitious goals may be a more popular route.

Right.

And I think, ironically, in the U.S., the fact that we have this more freewheeling environment when it comes to AI, there's something about that that makes people more afraid of it.

And that backlash from the grassroots right now, that could end up being a problem down the line for AI development in the U.S.