America is driving full force into the new age of AI for a number of reasons. Outwardly, success in developing artificial intelligence is no different then the space race of the 1960’s when then President John F. Kennedy saw the Russians headed toward the moon and decided that we needed to get there first. And we did. Technological offshoots from that herculean effort have included artificial limbs, scratch-resistant lenses, insulin pumps, flame-retardant polymers, Dustbusters, Lasik surgery, building shock absorbers, solar cells, improved water filtration systems, improved tires, wireless headsets, improved smoke detectors, freeze-dried foods, camera phones, CAT scans, grooved pavements, air purifiers, memory foam, improved home insulation, infrared thermometers, LED’s, improved athletic shoes, and many more.

Today, it is the Chinese, rather than the Russians, we are driven to catch up with and surpass… but the stakes are much higher. The space race was mostly about pride. Leadership in Artificial Intelligence is more about survival.

Where Does the US Stand in the Technology Race?

Chinese products and influence has grown steadily over the last fifty years. In 2023, China “accounted for 29% of global manufacturing output, according to Statista.

According to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, China currently dominates in 37 out of 44 “critical technologies, including defense, AI, and quantum research.” Further,
“the U.S. trails in most areas, holding leads in high-performance computing and vaccines.” And, “the [technology] gap between the two superpowers is vast.”

Where does the US Stand in the Race to Develop AI?

According to the watchdog agency, The Insikt Group, China has declared “it will become the world leader in Artificial Intelligence by the year 2030.” Since 2017, the Chinese government has placed a high priority on its goal… yet so far, the U.S. has either maintained equality with its rival or is slightly ahead in the race, largely due to our computer supremacy.

Why is the AI Race so Important?

Success in artificial intelligence supremacy has little to do with “natural language models” we are exposed to every day. ChatGPT and the customer service automated systems we have to navigate through are smaller than the tip of the iceberg in terms of what is on the horizon. Systems such as Machine Learning Models (learn unsupervised), Deep Learning Models (using layered neural networks for things like image recognition), Expert Systems (which mimic human decision-making in specific fields), and Generative Models (that create that create new data based on historical information) are already present and growing in importance.

However, what is really the wave of the future is Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) which is an attempt to mimic human intelligence in all its complexity. The end goal is for AGI to exceed human cognitive abilities over a wide spectrum of tasks. When married with robotics, the outcome is both unpredictable and ultimately uncontrollable. In this area, China is ahead of the US partly because of fewer regulations and an intense effort of concentration.

Developing in parallel with robotic AGI is a relatively new field of study, Brian-Computer Interface (BCI). China is also ahead of the U.S. in this technology. The Washington Times recently reported that China, thought shrouded in secrecy, has developed “invasive (meaning surgically implanted) BCI’s to augment human cognition and human-machine teaming by linking brains directly to computational resources.”

While the U.S. is focused primarily on large-language models like ChatGPT, China is directing its efforts toward Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and Brain-Computer Interface (BCI).

A Biblical Christian Worldview on AI Development

If one is willing to apply a sanctified imagination, looking beyond what is being projected today, technologies such as BCI and AGI have as their end goal much more than enhancing or exceeding human intellect (BCI) and capabilities (AGI) with robotics. This is the first time in human history that mankind is attempting to build something faster, smarter, and more capable than itself. And, with the pressure to “win the race” with the golden carrots of productivity and military advantage as the bait, there is no stopping progress. In fact, just looking at Trump’s focus on building Data Centers spread throughout the country, Artificial Intelligence development will only accelerate as a priority.

In Genesis 11, God changed the languages of many at the Tower of Babel because mankind was attempting to become gods. The future of mankind has always been to remove the fear of the unknown. And, the greatest unknown is death. To that end, as AI accelerates beyond human intellect and assists mankind in improving the interface between our mind and its machinery, there will come a time when the stored knowledge of man will be able to be captured in the hardware of computers. If that point comes, man will see the potential of eternal life, apart from God.

It is my view that if mankind survives AI to a point when we can see the horizon to human-generated eternal life, God will intervene as He did in Genesis 11.