The U.S. Congressional Committee Proposes AI Development Strategy
The bipartisan U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) recently released a milestone report recommending that Congress establish a project for the development of artificial intelligence (AI) similar to the Manhattan Project during World War II. This report is not just a strategic document but also a strategic declaration for the U.S. in global technological competition, aiming to seize the high ground in AI development.
The report clearly states that collaboration between the public and private sectors will be key to advancing the development of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). The committee recommends that the Secretary of Defense designate AI projects as a top national priority and authorize the executive branch to enter into multi-year contracts for AI, cloud computing, and data center technologies. The committee emphasizes that these AGI systems will possess capabilities comparable to or even superior to human intelligence, potentially surpassing the sharpest human thinking in every task.
Comprehensive Competition: Technology, Economy, and National Security
Currently, China is actively developing emerging technologies, including AI, quantum technology, biotechnology, and battery storage systems. Although the U.S. still maintains a leading position in most AI-related technologies, China is rapidly closing the gap and demonstrating its ability to innovate under U.S. and allied export controls. The committee warns that if China successfully breaks through existing technological blockades, its rapid technological advancement could threaten the U.S.'s economic and military advantages and potentially undermine deterrence stability in the Pacific region, even altering the global balance of power.
Committee member Jacob Helberg bluntly stated: 'History has shown us that the first country to seize rapid technological change often triggers shifts in the global power structure. China is racing towards Artificial General Intelligence, and we must take this threat extremely seriously.'
To this end, the U.S. Treasury has implemented investment restrictions to prevent American investors from pouring into technology industries that could enhance China's military or intelligence capabilities.
The New Era of Technological Competition
Unlike the historical Manhattan Project focused on nuclear weapon development, the current AI 'Manhattan Project' aims to develop Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), which refers to systems with intelligence equal to or even greater than that of humans. The report recommends that Congress 'establish and fund a project similar to the Manhattan Project dedicated to competing and acquiring Artificial General Intelligence capabilities.'
Energy infrastructure has become a major bottleneck for training large AI models. Helberg suggests that streamlining the permitting process for data centers could be an example of how the public and private sectors can accelerate AI development. Tech companies like OpenAI are also calling for increased government funding for artificial intelligence, showing a high degree of consensus between tech giants and the government in this technological race.
The committee's report is not just a technical assessment document, but also a strategic blueprint for the U.S. in emerging technology industries. In addition to recommendations for AI development, the report proposes abolishing trade exemption policies that allow Chinese goods to be imported at low tariffs, as well as a series of specific measures to restrict Chinese investment in the biotechnology industry.
The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission was established in 2000 to monitor and analyze U.S.-China bilateral trade and economic relations. This report signifies the formal onset of a new round of the technological cold war, with global competition around AI reshaping the international technological landscape and the balance of power between nations. In this escalating technological confrontation, whoever can break through the technological barriers of AGI first may dominate the future global technological and strategic landscape.
‘New Cold War Era! The AI Arms Race Intensifies, the U.S. Will Revive the 'Manhattan Project' to Counter China’ was first published in 'Crypto City'