Xi Jinping's plan to overtake America in AI

On May 21st J.D. Vance, America’s vice-president, described the development of artificial intelligence as an “arms race” with China. If America paused because of concerns over AI safety, he said, it might find itself “enslaved to PRC-mediated ai”. The idea of a superpower showdown that will culminate in a moment of triumph or defeat circulates relentlessly in Washington and beyond.

This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “Race of the century”