As Silicon Valley pours billions into the race for artificial general intelligence, Beijing is charting a different course, focusing instead on practical, low-cost AI tools that can be deployed across industries and daily life, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.
Since the release of ChatGPT in 2022, U.S. firms such as Google, Meta, and OpenAI have invested heavily in the pursuit of machines that can match or surpass human intelligence. Washington lawmakers have even floated a "Manhattan Project" for AGI.
But China's leaders, including President Xi Jinping, have largely sidestepped the hype, urging companies to prioritize applications that improve efficiency and can be commercialized quickly.
Already, Chinese AI models are grading exams, guiding farmers on crop rotation, improving weather forecasts, and helping doctors with diagnoses. In Xi's showcase city of Xiong'an, AI tools are used for agriculture, police work, and government hotlines.
Tsinghua University, the Chinese counterpart to MIT, is developing an AI-powered hospital, while robotic firms are rolling out dark factories that operate with minimal human oversight.
Unlike the U.S., China is backing its strategy with state funding, launching an $8.4 billion AI fund in January and rolling out a nationwide "AI+" campaign to embed the technology in science, industry, and government by 2030. Beijing is also leaning on open-source models to cut costs and accelerate adoption abroad.
Analysts say the diverging strategies carry high stakes. If AGI proves achievable in the near future, U.S. tech giants might gain a decisive edge. But if the technology remains out of reach, China could leap ahead by wringing economic and social gains from AI's current capabilities.
"Beijing sees AI not as something to theorize about in the future, but as something to take advantage of here and now," said Julian Gewirtz, a former White House official specializing in tech competition.
Even so, some Chinese firms like Alibaba and DeepSeek continue to signal interest in AGI, suggesting Beijing may keep its options open.
For now, China's risk-averse leadership appears committed to an approach it views as pragmatic — one that prioritizes stability, efficiency, and measurable results.
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