Let Go of Rivalry: The Real Common Enemy of China and the US is Uncontrolled AI

In today’s international landscape, the China-US relationship remains a focal point of global attention, characterized by economic friction, technological competition, and geopolitical struggles. Many view China and the US as natural adversaries, believing each poses the greatest threat to the other.

However, from a long-term perspective on human development and national security, China and the US have never been each other’s enemies. Instead, uncontrolled artificial intelligence (AI) is the most urgent and pressing threat that both countries, and humanity as a whole, face. This viewpoint has been repeatedly emphasized by numerous senior figures in the global technology and political arenas, highlighting the core challenge that China and the US must confront together.

For a long time, AI has been regarded as a core technology leading the Fourth Industrial Revolution, crucial for countries to seize future development opportunities. As the two leading powers in global AI development, China and the US are at the forefront of AI technology research, industrial application, and technological innovation, bringing significant benefits to their economic development, social progress, and improvement of people’s livelihoods.

However, technology is a double-edged sword. The rapid iteration of AI has long surpassed the pace of existing human regulations and oversight systems. As AI models continue to evolve autonomously, intelligent algorithms permeate every corner of society, autonomous weapons systems upgrade continuously, and deepfake technology proliferates, the risk of uncontrolled AI looms like a Damocles sword over humanity. This poses an all-encompassing and indiscriminate threat to the national security, social stability, and strategic safety of both China and the US.

Firstly, AI significantly lowers the technical barriers for malicious destruction, allowing non-state actors to become invisible threats to national security.

In the past, high-end cyberattacks, precise intelligence theft, and large-scale social infiltration were typically within the capabilities of only major powers. However, the proliferation of AI has enabled extremist organizations, criminal groups, and individual malicious actors to wield immense destructive power with simple AI tools.

The new generation of AI models can quickly identify vulnerabilities in network systems, autonomously conduct cyber infiltrations, and assist in launching precise cyberattacks. Whether it is the critical infrastructure and financial systems of the US or China’s energy networks and communication systems, they could all become targets of malicious AI attacks. Such attacks, which are highly covert and difficult to trace, directly threaten the foundational operations of both societies, representing a risk that neither China nor the US can withstand alone.

Secondly, the autonomous development of AI can easily lead to strategic misjudgments among major powers, potentially triggering irreversible conflicts.

In the military domain, the development and deployment of lethal autonomous weapon systems have already become a global focus. These AI weapons possess the ability to learn, make decisions, and attack autonomously, with combat decisions generated entirely by algorithmic black boxes, bypassing human command and control.

If the intelligent combat systems of China and the US unexpectedly interact in a complex environment, the AI’s autonomous attack judgment could escalate conflicts in a very short time, leaving human decision-makers unable to intervene. Such misjudgments and conflicts arising from technological failures represent a catastrophic security crisis for both countries, with no party able to safeguard itself.

Furthermore, the rampant spread of false information, the collapse of social trust, and the disorder in global governance brought about by AI are also common challenges for both China and the US.

AI deepfake technology can easily create false audio and video, fake news, confuse public perception, undermine social trust, and incite divisive emotions. The misuse of AI algorithms can exacerbate discrimination, invade privacy, and disrupt job markets and economic order. The chaotic development of cross-border AI technology can plunge data security, technological ethics, and global regulatory issues into unsolvable dilemmas.

These problems transcend national borders and systems, impacting social stability in the US and development order in China, making them global governance challenges that both countries face together.

In contrast, the competition and differences between China and the US are essentially a struggle for interests and ideological differences during the development process of major powers, which can be resolved through communication, negotiation, and management. However, the risk of uncontrolled AI is a fundamental challenge concerning the survival of human civilization and the security of major powers. This challenge will not disappear due to the competition between China and the US; rather, it will intensify and become more dangerous as both countries exhaust each other.

As Thomas Friedman, author of “The World is Flat,” stated, the relationship between China and the US in the field of AI is no longer a simple competitive one but rather a shared security threat that cannot be addressed independently. In a highly integrated and interdependent global landscape, the risks posed by uncontrolled AI are cross-border, interconnected, and systemic. Neither China nor the US can achieve effective management alone; only through cooperation can they safeguard the baseline of technological security.

Currently, China and the US urgently need to abandon zero-sum thinking, stepping out of the misconception of “either this or that, you lose I win,” and reach a consensus on AI security governance, establishing cooperation. Whether it is building an AI security crisis communication mechanism, delineating red lines for the use of intelligent weapons, jointly combating malicious AI misuse, or collaboratively formulating global AI technology ethics and regulatory rules, these are practical measures that both countries must advance.

The responsibility of major powers lies not only in safeguarding their own security but also in maintaining the common future of humanity. As the two largest powers globally, China and the US bear the responsibility of leading the healthy development of global technology. Rather than depleting energy in mutual competition, they should recognize that uncontrolled AI is the common enemy and work together to address challenges, building a technological security barrier.

Ultimately, the fate of humanity is already closely intertwined. Only by jointly managing the “wild horse” of technology can AI truly benefit humanity rather than become a threat to civilization. This is the responsibility that both China and the US must uphold for the world and the future!