The Competition for AI Leadership: Comparing National AI Ambitions and Results of the US, UK, and China

Abstract

This thesis examines the approaches of the United States, the United Kingdom, and China for the development of artificial intelligence through comparing the three states’ national AI strategies and stated ambitions to their financial resource allocation, human capital development, and research outputs. The analysis suggests that there isn’t a single state that leads in all aspects of global AI competitiveness, with each state leading in different areas. Each state also shows gaps between their stated ambitions and actual implementation results. This shows that the narrative that the ”AI race” is a competition that results in total dominance isn’t necessarily accurate and that states should focus on maximizing their strengths instead of pursuing total leadership.