US Needs to Prioritise Core AI Projects

A bipartisan US congressional commission has called for a Manhattan Project-style initiative to accelerate artificial intelligence (AI) development amid intensifying competition with China.

In its November report, the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) urged Congress to create and fund a program dedicated to advancing artificial general intelligence (AGI).

Drawing inspiration from the Manhattan Project—the World War II effort that developed the first nuclear weapons—the USCC highlighted AGI's transformative potential, describing it as systems capable of outperforming human intelligence across all tasks.

The report emphasized the importance of public-private partnerships to drive AGI innovation in the US.

Among its key recommendations, the USCC called for the Secretary of Defense to assign the highest national priority designation to critical AI projects.

It also proposed granting the executive branch broad, multiyear contracting authority and allocating funding to leading AI, cloud, and data center firms to ensure development aligns with national objectives.

US' AI Race with China as Competition Intensifies

The USCC highlighted China's strategic focus on emerging technologies, including AI, quantum computing, biotechnology, and battery energy storage systems.

According to the report, the global "race for superior AI" hinges on the integration of key enablers such as advanced chips, computing power, and robust datasets for training language models.

While the US currently holds an advantage in many AI-related technologies, the USCC warned that China is rapidly advancing and has shown the capacity to circumvent US and allied export controls with varying degrees of success.

The report noted:

“However, if China manages to overcome these challenges, its rapid technological progress threatens the US economy and military and may erode the deterrence and stability in the Pacific, as well as tip the global balance of power.”

The commission also recommended repealing trade exemptions that allow certain Chinese goods to bypass US tariffs, emphasizing the need to safeguard economic and technological leadership.

Established in 2000, the USCC is tasked with monitoring and reporting to Congress on the evolving trade and economic dynamics between the United States and China.