Navigating Turbulence: The Challenge of Inclusive Innovation in the U.S.-China AI Race
2026-04-09 • Computers and Society
Computers and Society
AI summaryⓘ
The authors look at how the competition between the US and China affects fairness and teamwork in AI development. They study three legal areas: data privacy, intellectual property rights, and export controls. They find that China may have an edge in access to data and IP protections, but the US has stronger control over important technology exports like chips and AI models. This shapes how each country progresses in AI and creates rules that might exclude others worldwide.
artificial intelligencedata privacyintellectual propertyexport restrictionsgeopolitical rivalrysemiconductor chipsAI modelslegal infrastructureinnovation policy
Authors
Jyh-An Lee, Jingwen Liu
Abstract
This chapter examines the impact of the geopolitical rivalry between the United States and China on the prospects for inclusive innovation in artificial intelligence (AI) development. We explore three critical aspects of the American and Chinese legal infrastructure that significantly impact AI innovation: data privacy, intellectual property (IP rights), and export restrictions. Through this comparative analysis, we argue that, while China's legal environment may offer certain advantage in terms of access to training data and IP protection, the United States maintains superior resources by enforcing strict export controls on semiconductor chips, AI models, as well as outbound investments in these areas. This nuanced examination helps illuminate how each country's legal framework could influence the ultimate trajectory of AI race and how the technological rivalry has led to exclusionary rulemaking on a global scale.