US Senators Warn: The Next AI Revolution Must Be Led by the US, Not China

(CNA Washington 11th Comprehensive Foreign Wire Report) As the United States and China compete for global leadership in artificial intelligence (AI), U.S. lawmakers and relevant witnesses warned at a congressional hearing today that the U.S. must ensure the next stage of responsible AI innovation is led by the U.S., not China.

According to a report by the South China Morning Post, Tim Scott, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, stated: "Cybersecurity and national security must be taken seriously. The U.S. must never allow China or any other adversary to gain a technological advantage in the field of AI."

Republican Senator Jim Banks pointed out that no competition is more crucial to the future of the U.S. than defeating China in the AI sector, stating, "The country that holds the leading position in AI will be able to dictate the rules of the global economy and hold a military advantage."

At the hearing titled "AI and the American Dream: Fostering Innovation, Affordability, and U.S. Dominance," competition with China became the central focus, with participating lawmakers demonstrating a bipartisan consensus to maintain U.S. leadership in AI.

The U.S. gained an early advantage with OpenAI's AI chatbot ChatGPT, but Chinese companies have made rapid progress in recent years. For example, DeepSeek launched a new AI model last year, and the Beijing authorities are striving to become the global leader in the AI industry by 2030, beginning to narrow the gap between the two superpowers.

David Feith, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute who testified at the hearing, said that the AI policy of U.S. President Donald Trump's administration "correctly recognizes that the U.S. must win the AI race with China."

However, Elizabeth Warren, the ranking Democratic member of the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, argued that while the U.S. had previously maintained strict export controls to prevent U.S. chip giant NVIDIA from selling its most advanced chips to China, the Trump administration is now relaxing these restrictions.

Warren criticized: "These chips are being sold in large quantities elsewhere and ultimately inexplicably flowing into China, yet the Trump administration turns a blind eye to this." She also mentioned that NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang has been invited to testify at a hearing.

Banks similarly emphasized: "The most advanced AI chips are a core asset of U.S. national power and must absolutely not fall into the hands of the Chinese Communist Party." (Translated by: Hong Peiying) 1150612