Shots fired in the AI war: US and China clash over code and control
The contest over artificial intelligence between the US and China has entered a more confrontational phase. What began as a race for innovation has now hardened into a struggle over control of talent, intellectual property and strategic technologies. The latest Chinese government move to block Meta’s acquisition of Chinese AI company Manus shows how both sides are willing to intervene directly in corporate activity to defend national interests. At the same time, new policy signals from the White House suggest that even the methods used to build AI systems are becoming geopolitical flashpoints. The result is a deepening technological rivalry with global consequences.
