US tech chief: China is threatening America’s lead in the global artificial intelligence race
- US Chief Technology Officer Michael Kratsios calls on government and private sector to collaborate to keep US on top in the competition for AI dominance
- Says US remains in front in the worldwide AI competition, but China is narrowing the gap quickly
US President Donald Trump’s head of technology policy on Tuesday called for “collective power” from both the US government and America’s private sector to keep the United States ahead of China in the tightening race for global artificial intelligence dominance.
US Chief Technology Officer Michael Kratsios said at a Washington think tank event that although the US is currently the leader in the worldwide AI competition, China is narrowing the gap quickly.
“Our goal is very clear, the unique American ecosystem must do everything its collective power can to keep America’s lead in the AI race and build on our success,” Kratsios told a Centre for Data Innovation forum on the US’ prospects for remaining the dominant power in the global AI leadership contest.
Kratsios, who advises Trump on a broad range of technology policy issues, is a pivotal figure in driving US technology priorities and strategic initiatives.
His call for greater collaboration between Washington and the private sector comes as annual federal spending on non-defence-related AI research is set to jump to nearly US$1 billion, according to a supplement to Trump’s fiscal 2020 budget request, released on Tuesday.
