Is China poised to overtake the US in AI leadership?

At the World AI Conference in Shanghai, China made a bold claim for global leadership in artificial intelligence, positioning itself as a formidable alternative to the United States. The perception of US dominance in AI was challenged when Chinese start-up DeepSeek introduced a cost-effective chatbot rivaling top American systems. The conference highlighted the intense competition between China and the US in the AI sector, with both nations accounting for the majority of recent model developments. China aims to become the leading AI innovation center by 2030, and with its open-source models, it is gaining traction in countries like Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and Pakistan. The affordability of Chinese technology could be a decisive factor, especially for developing nations. Meanwhile, the US is taking steps to maintain its lead, including restricting exports of advanced chips to China. Despite challenges such as the closed Chinese internet and trust issues, China is positioning itself as a responsible AI power, pledging to share technology with other nations. However, the details of a new China-led international AI cooperation organization remain unclear. Analyst Grace Shao noted that while the AI field is vibrant, it is still in its early stages of development.