The artificial intelligence race between the United States and China is becoming increasingly focused not only on technological leadership but also on the question of AI safety.
As both countries compete to develop more advanced AI systems, a growing debate has emerged over whether concerns about national security and technological competition could make it more difficult to establish effective safety measures.
Trump Opposes Slowing Down AI Development
U.S. President Donald Trump has opposed calls to slow the development of artificial intelligence, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the United States’ position in the global AI race.
Trump has argued that China is the central competitor in this race and has stressed that the country that wins the AI competition will gain a major strategic advantage. His position reflects the broader view in Washington that maintaining technological leadership in AI is closely connected to economic and national security interests.
Dario Amodei Calls for Safer AI Development
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has taken a more cautious position on the pace of AI development. He has argued that frontier AI should be developed at a pace that allows safety measures, oversight, and governance systems to keep up with rapidly increasing capabilities.
However, Amodei has also acknowledged the geopolitical risk of slowing down too much. His position is that the United States should only reduce the pace of AI development to a level that does not create an opportunity for China to overtake it.
Amodei has also supported maintaining restrictions on the export of advanced AI chips and chipmaking technology to China, linking AI safety concerns with the broader issue of technological competition.
China Calls the Approach a “Cold War” Strategy
Amodei’s position has faced strong criticism from Chinese state-backed media.
China’s Global Times described his proposal as a “Cold War” strategy, arguing that calls for AI safety and restrictions on advanced technology could also limit China’s technological development.
Chinese officials have called for international cooperation on AI rather than approaches that could deepen technological confrontation between the two countries.
AI Safety and Export Controls Become Connected
One of the major issues in the current debate is the connection between AI safety and export controls.
Some experts argue that combining safety concerns with restrictions on China’s access to advanced AI chips could make Beijing more cautious about cooperating with Washington on AI governance and safety.
This creates a difficult policy question: can the United States compete with China technologically while also establishing international cooperation on risks that affect both countries?
Recent discussions between U.S. and Chinese officials have included the possibility of mechanisms for AI incident reporting and crisis communication, although strategic mistrust and existing technology restrictions remain obstacles.
Can AI Competition and Safety Coexist?
The U.S.-China AI competition presents a complicated challenge for policymakers.
On one side, American officials and technology leaders argue that falling behind China in AI could create significant economic and national security risks. On the other, AI safety researchers and some technology executives warn that rapidly advancing capabilities require stronger safeguards and international coordination.
The two countries are expected to continue discussions on AI safety, while a planned meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping is also expected to include AI governance among other issues.
The central question is therefore becoming increasingly important: can the United States and China compete for AI leadership while still cooperating on the safety risks that neither country can address alone?
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