We need guardrails for artificial superintelligence NOW before its too late

America’s “AI race with China” is a headline we see more and more.But we’re actually in two high-stakes races with China in artificial intelligence.First: a competition for commercial dominance that is reshaping economies, military power and global influence.The second race, though less visible, has the potential to be even more existential: a sprint toward artificial superintelligence.What’s ASI? Unlike current AI models trained to perform relatively narrow tasks, ASI refers to a hypothetical future version of AI that exceeds human intelligence across every domain — creative, strategic, even emotional.It could be capable of autonomously improving itself, outpacing our ability to control or predict it.This technology doesn’t yet exist, but leading experts, industry leaders and lawmakers believe its emergence could be possible within the next decade.

That’s the problem: It may not feel urgent — until it’s too late.Which is why the time to act is now.President Donald Trump and his team are in a unique position to secure America’s preeminence on both fronts by winning the commercialization race and negotiating what may be the most consequential diplomatic deal since the nuclear-arms treaties of the Cold War.China’s advancements in commercial AI have dramatically closed America’s lead on the rest of the world.

How? Beijing bought, stole and downloaded US technology, leading to breakthroughs that resemble a modern-day Sputnik moment.Chinese firms are unveiling AI models that are both cheaper and more sophisticated than we knew possible (remember our reaction to DeepSeek?).China’s state-directed pursuit extends far beyond economic ambitions.The Chinese Communist Party openly seeks a technological dominance that’s anchored in its own core principles: surveillance, censorship, and control.

A Chinese-led AI era risks embedding these authoritarian pillars into the digital fabric of global civilization and everyday life.Subscribe to our...