The United States, by almost any measure, dominates the world of artificial intelligence. The most powerful A.I. systems are made in America. The United States has far more A.I. data centers than any other country. And a vast majority of the computer chips used to build A.I. were developed by American companies.
Perception, however, is a different matter.
In recent weeks, China has appeared to erode that sizable lead. The competition came into sharper focus last week when a Chinese start-up released a system nearly as powerful as the leading American technologies but costing a lot less. It was the second time in about a month that a Chinese company managed that feat.
In a speech on Friday, China’s leader, Xi Jinping, hailed Beijing as the champion of a new global A.I. order. “A.I. development should not be a solo performance by a single country but a symphony of international cooperation,” Mr. Xi said.
As it has with other cutting-edge technologies, from consumer electronics to electric cars, China is demonstrating that it can produce something almost as good but at a far more affordable price. That strikes a nerve in Silicon Valley, where industry veterans know that when it comes to technology, good enough often beats best if it is a lot cheaper. That has been true since PCs replaced mainframes, and it could happen again with A.I.
But worries about China’s increasing A.I. prowess appear to be less about what technologists in that country are doing right and more about what the United States could be doing wrong. American companies could be building their product the wrong way. They could be spending too much and charging too much for their products. The Trump administration could also be needlessly meddling in the A.I. market.
“This is still the U.S.’s race to lose, but it is getting damn close,” said Rehaan Ahmad, a co-founder of the Silicon Valley start-up alphaXiv, who has been using the latest Chinese technologies for the past several weeks.
