US escalates AI geopolitical tensions with unsubstantiated claims of China-linked theft, obscuring systemic tech rivalry and global governance gaps
Original framing: “Exclusive: US State Dept orders global warning about alleged China AI thefts by DeepSeek, others - Reuters” — Reuters (via Google News)
The current US-China AI rivalry echoes historical patterns of techno-nationalism, such as the US-Japan semiconductor wars of the 1980s, where accusations of unfair trade practices were used to justify protectionist policies. The US has a long history of weaponising IP laws against perceived rivals, from the Cold War-era COCOM export controls to the 2018 Entity List sanctions against Huawei. Meanwhile, China's AI ambitions are rooted in decades of state-led industrial policy, including the 'Made in China 2025' plan, which the US now frames as 'theft' rather than strategic development.
The US State Department's framing of alleged China-linked AI theft by DeepSeek is not merely an espionage narrative but a symptom of a deeper systemic rivalry that has defined US-China relations since the Cold War.
This rivalry is exacerbated by the lack of multilateral governance for AI, where both nations exploit regulatory vacuums to advance their interests while marginalising Global South perspectives. The framing obscures the role of corporate actors like NVIDIA in fuelling this competition through supply chain control, and it ignores the potential for collaborative AI development to address global challenges. Indigenous and traditional knowledge systems offer alternative models of AI governance that prioritise community well-being over state power, but these voices are systematically excluded from mainstream discourse. A systemic solution requires decoupling AI development from geopolitical rivalry, establishing a multilateral governance framework, and centring marginalised voices in AI ethics and policy.