Ever wonder how like, what happens in DC, you know,
like in Washington, could like actually affect
how much you pay for your next phone?
Yeah.
It's kind of crazy to think about, right?
Yeah, definitely.
Well, we're gonna like dive deep today.
Okay.
We're exploring this book called AI and Global Power.
Oh, cool.
It's got this really long subtitle,
understanding the US-China dynamics.
Mm-hmm.
But basically it breaks down how like this whole
global tech competition is playing out like right
in your everyday life.
Yeah.
I mean, you're smart.
You want to stay ahead of the curve, right?
Definitely.
So this book, I think, has the intel that you need.
Yeah.
We're talking real world stories.
Cool.
Data-driven insights.
Awesome.
Like just think of it as a crash course
in how the digital world is being shaped
by all these forces that we don't even think about.
Right.
Yeah, and this book is really interesting
because it kind of pulls back the curtain
and shows you how these international policies
actually connect to your wallet.
We're gonna see how US policies specifically
toward Chinese AI are impacting the tech that you can get.
Yeah.
And probably in ways you don't even realize.
And that's the thing, like you might follow
the latest gadgets and apps and stuff.
Right.
But who has time to really like unpack all the politics
that's going on behind the scenes?
Yeah, it's a lot.
It's a lot.
Let's break it down.
First things first.
Okay.
What does this global AI landscape even look like?
So picture a chessboard, but instead of like kings
and queens, we've got Silicon Valley and we've got Beijing.
The US has that history of innovation,
venture capital, startup culture,
but China, they've got a different kind of fuel.
Massive government investment in AI.
Wow.
And this gigantic population that's just generating data,
like we've never seen before.
Yeah, that's true.
Yeah.
So each player is bringing some serious strengths
to the table, but what's the US government like?
What are their goals in this game?
So the US government wants to win.
Right.
They're aiming to maintain their global tech dominance,
but also ensuring national security at the same time.
It's a tough balance.
It is.
It's a very delicate balancing act,
especially as AI gets more and more tied in
with military strategy and economic competitiveness.
So let's talk about the national security piece first.
Yeah.
How does AI even fit into that?
Yeah.
Well, the US government, they're very concerned
about protecting critical AI technology.
Yeah.
Making sure it doesn't fall into the hands
of potential adversaries.
That makes sense.
Right.
They see AI as a game changer in warfare.
Strategic decision making.
So that's why you see these policies like export controls,
which restrict the sale of certain sensitive technologies.
To certain countries.
Yeah, to specific countries, including China.
OK.
There's also limitations on investment
from Chinese firms and American AI companies.
Interesting.
Yeah.
And even research collaborations are limited.
Wow.
It's all about safeguarding what they see
as their technological edge.
OK.
Yeah.
I mean, you wouldn't want technology
that could be used against you to fall into the wrong hands.
Exactly.
What about the economic side of things?
How do those concerns kind of play into policy?
Well, the US is very protective of its economic interests,
especially when it comes to tech.
Yeah.
They see China's state backed support
of its own tech companies as like an unfair advantage.
So they're trying to level the playing field.
Exactly.
And this is where tariffs come in.
OK.
You know those taxes on imported goods
designed to make Chinese products more expensive.
Right.
And in theory, boost American companies.
OK.
And then there are also attempts to control
the transfer of technology.
Yeah.
Making it harder for Chinese companies
to get American AI technology.
Got it.
So is this constant like push and pull
between keeping the US secure and maintaining
its economic power?
It is.
In this really important tech arena?
Yeah.
So the book actually uses this story of Sarah
to illustrate how these policies have real world consequences
for regular people.
Yeah.
Right?
Right.
Like you and me.
Yeah.
She was like ready to go electric for their next car.
Oh, cool.
Yeah.
What happened?
So she really wanted to Tesla Model 3.
Those are nice.
Right.
But the price tag in Seattle was like $47,000.
Whoa.
And she found out that a comparable electric vehicle made
by NIO, a Chinese company, was selling in Shanghai
for only $31,000.
Wow.
Huge difference.
But the big difference.
$16,000.
Yeah.
That's not just like a currency exchange thing, right?
No, definitely not.
The book suggests that a big part of that price gap
is because of US policies.
Trying to protect Tesla.
Yeah, to protect companies like Tesla
from that competition.
Wow.
So Sarah couldn't really justify spending
that extra money on the Tesla.
Yeah.
She had to kind of put her electric car dreams on hold.
That's too bad.
Which is sad.
This story really highlights how those tariffs and trade
restrictions can really hit consumers,
where it hurts in our wallets.
Right.
We're essentially all paying a premium
for certain technologies.
Yeah.
Because of these restrictions.
It's true.
And that principle applies broadly.
When you have limited competition,
it usually means higher prices for consumers.
Makes sense.
It's basic economics.
Yeah.
It's definitely something to keep in mind the next time you're
shopping for tech.
Yeah, I can point.
Like smartphones to laptops to even software.
And the book argues that it's not just about higher prices,
right?
Right.
It's also about the choices that we have as consumers.
Yes, definitely.
Let's talk about Mike.
OK.
He's a graphic designer.
Uh-huh.
And his experience with Deepseek.
OK.
So Mike was really excited about Deepseek.
Yeah.
This cutting edge AI design tool,
promising to totally change his workflow.
Cool.
But the problem was, because of US restrictions,
it wasn't available in Chicago.
Oh.
Yeah.
But just across the border in Toronto.
Oh, wow.
His Canadian counterparts could use it totally freely.
That's a huge disadvantage.
I know big disadvantage for Mike.
Yeah.
This is such a good example of how policies that
are meant to protect American companies
can actually backfire and really hinder American innovators.
Yeah.
It's like shooting yourself in the foot a little bit.
Yeah.
Putting them at a disadvantage.
For sure.
So the book is saying that limited competition
leads to fewer choices for us.
It does.
And that applies not just to specific products like Deepseek,
but the overall pace of innovation.
Right.
Absolutely.
Think about it.
When companies don't have to fight as hard to stand out,
they don't have as much reason to push the boundaries.
Right.
To come up with those exciting new features we all love.
Yeah.
True.
It's just like anything else, competition breeds innovation.
Yeah.
So indirectly, these policies can actually
slow down progress in certain areas of tech.
This whole conversation is making me think about the debate
around TikTok.
Oh, yeah.
You know?
If that app were to be banned, it would limit choices for people.
But the government is arguing that it's
about national security.
Right.
It seems like the stakes are just so high.
They are incredibly high.
And the US government is very serious about staying ahead.
Yeah.
You know, at the top of the leaderboard.
Yeah.
They believe that controlling their own technological destiny,
which is a concept called technological sovereignty.
That's a new one for me.
Can you expand on that a little bit?
Sure.
So technological sovereignty is all
about a nation's ability to control its own tech development.
OK.
And its destiny, you know, free from outside influence.
The US wants to set the standards,
shape the rules of the game, and maintain its leadership
in this global AI landscape.
That makes sense.
And as we've seen, they're willing
to put some pretty aggressive policies in place to do that.
Though it's not just about keeping valuable tech out
of the wrong hands.
Right.
It's about shaping the whole, you know,
landscape of AI development.
Exactly.
This is getting really fascinating.
Yeah.
And in part two, we're going to get
into even more specific examples of how these policies are
affecting the products you use every day.
Oh, cool.
As well as, like, potential downsides
and unintended consequences.
I'm interested to hear about that.
Stay tuned.
We'll be right back.
So we've been talking about how the US wants to keep its edge
in this AI race.
And you mentioned that the government
invests, like, a ton of money into research and development
to stay ahead.
Yeah.
What does that actually look like in practice?
So the US government spends billions and billions
of dollars on AI research.
Wow.
Funding universities, labs, even some startups.
OK.
Trying to basically fuel innovation
and make sure breakthroughs are happening, you know,
in America.
Yeah.
But at the same time, they're being super careful
about who they share that knowledge with.
That makes sense.
So there are a lot of restrictions
on collaborating with Chinese researchers
or institutions.
So it's kind of like they're trying to have their cake
and eat it too.
Yeah.
Fueling American innovation, but also
trying to limit the flow of knowledge
to, like, potential competitors.
Right.
Doesn't that create a little bit of a paradox, though?
If innovation really thrives on collaboration,
the open exchange of ideas, could these restrictions
actually backfire?
That's a really good point.
And the book actually raises that exact question.
Some experts are saying that by trying
to wall off American AI research,
it could actually stifle innovation in the long run.
Interesting.
They're saying that cutting-edge research often
comes from these unexpected collaborations.
That's true.
And that restricting those interactions
could limit the potential for breakthroughs.
It makes you wonder, right?
It does.
So the US government is walking a tightrope here.
Yeah.
Definitely a tightrope.
Trying to protect its own interests,
while also recognizing that AI research is global.
Yeah, you can't really isolate it.
Exactly.
You can't completely isolate yourself.
And this is where that concept of technological sovereignty
comes back.
The US wants to be in control, setting the standards,
writing the rules.
Shaping the future of AI.
Exactly.
Shaping the future.
They believe that maintaining control
is absolutely critical, not just for economic competitiveness,
but also for national security.
So you mentioned that there could be some downsides
to all of this.
What are some of the unintended consequences
that the book talks about?
Well, one of the big concerns is that by restricting
collaboration and competition with China,
the US might actually slow down the advancement of AI
overall.
Interesting.
Which could end up hurting everyone.
Even themselves.
It's kind of ironic, right?
It's like they're so focused on winning the race.
Right.
That they might slow down the whole field.
And almost like a self-fulfilling prophecy.
It is.
You know, they're trying to maintain their lead,
but they might end up creating the perfect conditions
for their rivals to catch up.
So what can we as consumers do?
Well, the book really emphasizes that consumers
need to be aware of what's going on.
Because at the end of the day, it's
the everyday users who are most impacted by these policies.
We see it in the products we can buy, the prices we pay,
the features we have access to.
OK, so let's talk about those specific impacts.
You mentioned that tariffs on Chinese goods
can really drive up the costs of tech products for consumers.
Absolutely.
Can you give us a real world example of that?
Sir, think about your smartphone.
A lot of the components inside, like the processors,
the memory chips, even the screens,
those are often made in China.
And when the US puts tariffs on those components,
those costs get passed down the supply chain
and end up in the price you pay for your phone.
So that $1,000 plus price tag for a new phone
could be partly because of these tree tensions.
It's definitely a factor.
And it's not just smartphones either.
What else?
Laptops, tablets, smart home devices, practically any gadget
that have those complex components
that relies on those complex components that
are made overseas.
So it's like a hidden tax on innovation.
Kind of, yeah.
It impacts our wallets.
And it can slow down how quickly people
adopt these new technologies.
And it's not just about the price either, right?
It's also about availability, like we talked about with Mike.
Yeah, Mike and his design tool that he couldn't get in the US.
That's a direct result of those export controls.
Wow.
So these policies are meant to protect national security
and economic interests.
But they can also create some barriers for consumers
and innovators.
It's a complex situation.
Yeah, it's complicated.
It is.
And it's important for people to be aware of these connections.
You're not just passively receiving technology.
You're a part of this whole ecosystem.
And your choices, your voice actually matters.
This has been a fascinating look at how these policies really
impact our lives.
They do.
But where do we go from here?
That's a great question.
And that's exactly what we're going
to talk about in the final part of our deep dive.
OK.
We'll explore what consumers can do to navigate this landscape
and maybe even influence it for the better.
I'm excited to hear about that.
Stay tuned, everyone.
Yes, stay tuned.
OK, so we've been really unpacking this whole AI
and global power thing.
Yeah.
And it's clear that these policies
like have this ripple effect on our tech experiences.
They really do.
But it's kind of like, what can we even do about it?
It's true.
It can feel a little overwhelming.
Yeah.
But as consumers, we're not totally powerless.
OK.
The first step is just being aware.
The more we understand how all of this works,
the better equipped we are to navigate it.
Right.
And advocate for change.
OK, so knowledge is power.
Exactly.
But how do we actually translate that knowledge into action?
So start by just being an informed consumer.
When you see a new gadget with a crazy price tag
or you hear about a promising technology
that's not available here, ask yourself,
could this be because of those US policies?
Oh, interesting.
You know, don't just accept the tech landscape as it is.
Yeah.
Question those assumptions.
Be a little bit of a tech detective.
Exactly.
Connect the dots between those policy decisions
and your own experiences.
OK, so once we've done our research, what's next?
Make your voice heard.
OK, how do we do that?
Support organizations that align with your views
on AI and global tech.
OK.
Contact your elected officials.
Express your concerns.
Get involved in online discussions.
Write blog posts.
Share your insights on social media.
So basically amplifying the consumer perspective
in this whole policy conversation.
Exactly.
You're not just a passive recipient of technology.
You're a stakeholder.
And your voice matters.
What are some other ways that listeners can like, you know,
kind of flex those consumer muscles?
Well, think about where you're spending your money.
OK.
Support businesses that prioritize ethical AI
practices, data privacy.
You could even choose to boycott companies.
Oh, wow.
Whose values don't align with your own.
OK.
And of course, vote for politicians
who support policies that promote innovation, accessibility,
and responsible development of AI.
So every choice we make, every purchase sends a signal.
It does.
Every click, every purchase, every vote.
It all sends a signal to the market and to policymakers.
It's about recognizing that we have agency.
We do.
In shaping the future of tech.
Absolutely.
This whole deep dive has been so eye-opening.
I agree.
We went from like these abstract geopolitical maneuvers
to like the real impact on our wallets, our choices,
and like the entire technology landscape
is all connected.
It is.
And it all goes back to that key question in the book.
Could the US policies that are trying to curb China's rise
in AI actually be hindering progress that could benefit
everyone?
Even the US?
Even the US.
It's a question we all need to think about.
Yeah, especially as AI is just reshaping the world.
Changing everything.
It really is.
This has been AI and global power.
Yeah, thanks for joining us.
We hope this has really empowered you
to be more informed, more engaged, and just more
intentional about your role in shaping the future of tech.
It's up to all of us.
So until next time, stay curious.