When Cowen turns to geopolitics, his tone tightens. Small countries, he warns, will not build their own AI systems. They will choose, American or Chinese. The implications are not just technological but cultural, epistemic, and moral. The new colonialism will be quiet. It will arrive through licensing agreements and user interfaces. It will... See more

On export controls, Jin’s argument that tight restrictions backfire by spurring Chinese import substitution contains a kernel of truth but misses the bigger picture. Evidence shows Chinese firms are indeed developing workarounds, such as Nvidia’s modified H20 AI chips, and accelerating domestic R&D. Yet, analysis from CSIS demonstrates that U.S.... See more