We are excited to announce the second debate in The Hopkins Forum, a partnership between Open to Debate and SNF Agora Institute. Join us in Baltimore for a live debate that will explore the high-stakes U.S.-China AI arms race, examining whether U.S. chip controls can secure an American advantage in artificial intelligence.
The AI revolution is underway, and the U.S. and China are racing to the top. At the heart of this competition are semiconductors—especially advanced GPUs that power everything from natural language processing to autonomous weapons. The U.S. is betting that export controls can help check China’s technological ambitions. But will this containment strategy work—or could it inadvertently accelerate China’s drive for self-sufficiency? Those who think chip controls will work argue that restricting China’s access gives the U.S. critical breathing room to advance AI safely, set global norms, and maintain dominance. Those who believe chip controls are inadequate, or could backfire, warn that domestic chipmakers, like Nvidia and Intel, also rely on sales from China. Cutting off access could harm U.S. competitiveness in the long run, especially if other countries don’t fully align with U.S. policy.
As the race for AI supremacy intensifies, we debate the question: Can the U.S. Outpace China in AI Through Chip Controls?
Arguing Yes:
- Will Hurd, Former U.S. Representative and CIA Officer
- Lindsay Gorman, Managing Director and Senior Fellow, German Marshall Fund; Venture Scientist, Deep Science Ventures
Arguing No:
- Susan Thornton, Former Diplomat; Senior Fellow, Yale Law School Paul Tsai China Center
- Paul Triolo, SVP and Partner, DGA-Albright Stonebridge Group