Americans See China as AI Leader, Trump Confirms AI on Summit Agenda

More than one-third of Americans see China, and not the United States, as the global leader in artificial intelligence (AI), according to a Pew Research Centre survey released on Thursday, as US President Donald Trump confirmed the technology would be on the agenda when his Chinese counterpart visits the US later this year.

The survey found that 36 per cent of Americans believe China is more advanced than the United States in developing artificial intelligence. By comparison, only 12 per cent say the US is leading the AI race, while 18 per cent view the two countries as equally advanced. Another 33 per cent were unsure which nation is ahead.

The perception also cut across party lines, with 30 per cent of Republicans and 43 per cent of Democrats saying China is ahead of the US in AI advancement. Republicans, however, were more likely than Democrats to view the US as the leader, with 17 per cent holding that view compared with nine per cent of Democrats.

The findings come against the backdrop of an accelerating AI race between Washington and Beijing, underscoring anxieties in the US that China is quickly eroding America’s technological edge by leveraging the capabilities of its top companies and gaining access to restricted advanced semiconductor chips.

Trump touted the US’ lead over China in AI in Washington on Thursday, saying “whoever wins that race is probably going to win. Period” as he discussed America’s goal to “dominate the future” and confirmed AI would be on the agenda when he next meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“We’re leading China. We want to keep it that way. President Xi is coming over on September 24th, and we talked about it when I was over in Beijing, and we’ll be talking about it again,” said Trump, claiming Xi was impressed with the US’ advances in AI.