The technology rivalry between the United States and China has opened a new debate over security and superiority following a proposal to slow the development of artificial intelligence models. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei called for slowing the progress of advanced systems, while the US administration argued that such an approach could lead to a strategic loss against China.
In an article published this month, Amodei said that if AI models reach a level at which they can contribute to developing their own successors, researchers’ ability to understand and control the systems could fall behind. For this reason, Amodei called for slowing the pace at which models’ capabilities are enhanced and urged that the time gained be used carefully.
International oversight is at the center of the proposal
Amodei’s plan calls for independent evaluators to be appointed at leading AI companies and for coordination between companies and governments in democratic countries. The proposal also includes international agreements that would regulate the pace of development of frontier AI systems at a later stage.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Google DeepMind co-founder Demis Hassabis and Elon Musk of SpaceXAI publicly supported parts of the proposal despite being executives at companies engaged in intense competition.
Amodei also acknowledges that slowing US development could give Beijing a decisive technological advantage if equivalent restrictions are not imposed on China. Saying that a global agreement on development speed would require cooperation with China, Amodei argued that the agreement should rely on strong verification mechanisms to prevent either side from secretly violating the rules to gain a military advantage.
Trump warns of losing the advantage over China
US President Donald Trump opposed deliberately slowing Washington’s AI development efforts. Saying that the United States was ahead of China in AI, Trump stated that the side that won the competition would gain a decisive advantage.
Trump also questioned why industry executives would seek regulations that would limit their own companies. In a post on his Truth Social account, he argued that strictly enforced rules could drive companies in the sector into bankruptcy. Trump described opposition to AI and data centers as a “sick conspiracy” and claimed that China would be the only side pleased by it.
Beijing opposes technology restrictions
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun objected to statements by US technology executives, particularly calls to maintain restrictions on exports of advanced chips and semiconductor manufacturing equipment to China. Guo said that politics based on fear, conflict and destructive competition would obstruct global efforts on AI governance.
Stating that AI is an important technology for human well-being, Guo said all sides should work together to develop the field openly and inclusively for the benefit of humanity.
In a commentary published by the Chinese state-backed newspaper Global Times, Amodei’s proposal was described as an attempt to preserve US technological supremacy. The commentary argued that it was hypocritical and short-sighted to restrict China through technological barriers while excluding the country from global AI governance.
Chinese companies are closing the gap
The United States is generally assessed to retain its overall lead in frontier AI, while Chinese companies have narrowed the gap in several technology areas. Developers such as DeepSeek, Moonshot AI, Z. Ai and Alibaba have produced more competitive models despite US policies restricting access to advanced chips.
Researchers in China believe that US laboratories remain ahead in the most advanced AI capabilities. Zilan Qian, a researcher at the Oxford China Policy Lab, said progress in the United States was faster and more cutting-edge, meaning researchers at US laboratories could face more dangerous developments than their counterparts in China.
Beijing is also acknowledging the risks of AI more openly. Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for measures to prevent a loss of control, while Chinese regulators have incorporated these concerns into the country’s AI safety framework. Despite this, Beijing views AI as a strategic technology for economic development and competition with the United States.
A comprehensive agreement appears unlikely in the short term
Kenton Thibaut, a China expert at the Atlantic Council, said serious obstacles remained despite Washington and Beijing sharing some common concerns about AI safety. China suspects that the United States could use security talks to limit its technological rise. US officials, meanwhile, question whether an agreement with Beijing could be reliably verified and implemented.
Thibaut assessed that a comprehensive agreement to slow development was unlikely in the short term. By contrast, measures to prevent AI-assisted biological weapons, common testing standards and mechanisms to prevent uncontrolled AI activity from being misinterpreted as a deliberate state attack could be more realistic areas for cooperation.
The debate is expected to gain importance ahead of a planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington on September 24. AI governance is emerging as one of the issues that could arise as the two countries seek to reduce the risks of advanced AI without losing the technological advantage they regard as critical to their economies and national security.
