0
Humanoid robots compete in kickboxing during the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing on August 15. / Xinhua-Yonhap

The U.S. and China are pursuing starkly different strategies in the global race for artificial intelligence (AI), the Wall Street Journal reported on August 31.

Since the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in late 2022, Silicon Valley has poured billions of dollars and vast energy resources into developing artificial general intelligence (AGI)—systems designed to rival or surpass human cognition. Proponents argue AGI could transform everything from defense capabilities to cancer treatment and climate change, while automating tasks in accounting and customer service.

In contrast, Chinese President Xi Jinping has avoided AGI rhetoric, instead urging the country’s tech sector to focus on cost-effective, practical applications that can be rapidly deployed. Across China, AI models approved by regulators are already grading high school entrance exams, enhancing weather forecasts, assisting police dispatch, guiding farmers, and running “dark factories” where intelligent robots manage production without human labor.

		0
An illustration taken on January 27, 2025, shows the words “AI Artificial Intelligence” alongside a keyboard and a robotic hand. / Reuters-Yonhap

Tsinghua University has opened an AI-powered hospital where doctors collaborate with virtual colleagues, while industrial robots inspect fabrics on looms. Meanwhile, China’s central government is backing this vision with heavy state-led investment, including an $8.4 billion AI fund launched in January and follow-up support from local governments and state banks.

The strategy is also spreading globally. Beijing has encouraged adoption of open-source AI models that companies can download and adapt cheaply, a move that has lowered barriers to entry and accelerated diffusion. Even in the U.S., tech firms are expanding practical AI uses, such as real-time translation in Google’s Pixel phones and AI agents for presentations and interviews.

		0
Robots from China’s Unitree Robotics and Tiangong compete in the 100-meter final at the first World Humanoid Robot Games at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing on August 17, 2025. / Reuters-Yonhap

China’s commitment is embodied in the Xiong’an New Area, a national-level “new city” south of Beijing, where startups like DeepSeek are deploying AI for agriculture, emergency response, and public service hotlines. DeepSeek drew international attention in January by releasing its low-cost R1 generative model, which rivals ChatGPT.

AI experts note the divergence reflects geopolitical realities: U.S. chip export controls limit China’s access to cutting-edge hardware, pushing it to optimize existing tools rather than chase AGI breakthroughs.

		0
Humanoid robots play a soccer match during the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing on August 15, 2025. / AP-Yonhap

“China is letting the U.S. shoulder the cost of exploration, then aiming to be a fast follower or to optimize implementation,” said Jeffrey Ding, a George Washington University professor and author of the ChinAI newsletter.