After months of pushing China to retreat from its strategy to dominate the technologies of the future, President Trump today ordered U.S. agencies to prioritize keeping the U.S. ahead in the development and deployment of artificial intelligence.
He did not allocate specific sums of money — and it will be expensive to match Chinese spending — but told aides to tally up what it will cost to maintain the lead, and to budget it.
Trump's executive order comes amid tense brinkmanship between the U.S. and China, driven by a trade war declared by the U.S.
- The order brings new focus to the core of U.S. unhappiness: Beijing's strategic plan "Made in China 2025" and its goal of capturing the commanding heights in AI, quantum computing, biotechnology and more.
- The bottom line: This may be an attempt by Trump to signal deeper resolve ahead of coming new talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, possibly in March.
Read the full article and more in Axios.
Authors
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Gregory C. Allen
Former Adjunct Senior Fellow, Technology and National Security Program
Gregory C. Allen is a former Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) Technology and National Security Program. Mr. Allen focuses on the intersec...
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Elsa B. Kania
Adjunct Senior Fellow, Technology and National Security Program
Elsa B. Kania is an Adjunct Senior Fellow with the Technology and National Security Program at the Center for a New American Security. Her research focuses on Chinese military...
