The ‘But China!’ Dilemma Driving the A.I. Race

The episode examines the recurring “What about China?” objection that dominates American artificial intelligence policy debates. Chinese A.I. models are only slightly behind American ones, so a unilateral slowdown feels like handing away leadership in a critical technology. Guest Matt Sheehan, a Carnegie Endowment senior fellow, explains how China is interpreting the American A.I. debate and what each country’s constraints are. The conversation frames the situation as a prisoner’s dilemma and asks whether the two countries could strike a deal. Sheehan’s work is aimed at building a foundation for that coordination.