AI Software is Soft Power

Don't Solve Xi's Problem

Instead of embracing and emboldening American soft power, American AI policymakers are shooting themselves in the foot. By restricting exports of AI apps, crippling domestic developers, and embracing the framework ‘driving Europe to irrelevance’, regulators are handing the twenty-first century to adversaries such as China.

This is the result of a false dichotomy plaguing discussion of language models like ChatGPT, most notably in the discussion around ‘dual-use’ technology: the idea that because it is a tool, it is not embedded with values. The undeniable truth is that AI is both.

Like how television, cell phones, and social media are wall to wall advertisements for American values across the globe, AI is emerging as a transformative force to expand the cultural and economic influence of nations. 

AI is the next step in a long American tradition of combining objective utility with our distinct, embedded values. It can be used as a tool to execute complicated tasks. But the presence of language models also changes the words and topics people discuss. These systems don't just solve problems—they establish norms, preferences, and expectations. They become the infrastructure for a new layer of cultural influence.

Consider the iPhone. It redefined cell phones worldwide, becoming the focal point of entertainment, productivity, and social life. The iPhone became synonymous with digital progress and spread American values with every unit sold. Users gravitated toward American apps, platforms, and services. And they understood that no matter what they thought of us, the iPhone was invented by Americans.

AI is next in line. It will be embedded in the daily tools that people use for work, learning, and socializing. Technological exports are a source of our cultural and economic advantage, not a weakness to cower away from.

To understand the effect our technology has on authoritarian countries, consider the software development platform Github. In China, it's a lifeline for developers seeking the best tools, libraries, and frameworks. Despite the CCP’s strict internet controls, Chinese developers flock to GitHub for open-source software and collaboration opportunities. This extends beyond technical resources; it creates communities where American principles of openness and meritocracy thrive. GitHub is not just a repository—it's a blueprint for how AI innovation and collaboration can be democratized worldwide.

The Chinese Communist Party understands soft power all too well – building firewalls to keep American social media out while fighting to keep Tiktok in the US. But while Chinese policy carefully controlled its social media culture, an American renaissance is coming with AI. There’s overwhelming pressure from the Chinese public to be able to use AI. Like in history, the best options come from America. Our lead in AI puts pressure on the Chinese government to break from its Great Firewall policy and continue allowing American AI apps. The usefulness of American tools leads to the propagation of our culture. 

Yet in a moment of self-doubt, the US is about to shoot itself in the foot by restricting the export of American AI apps. This inexplicable self-sabotage comes from a vibe shift in the American national security establishment, which lost confidence after trade with China failed to turn it into a liberal democracy. These vibes miss the point entirely: China did everything it could to restrict the influence of American culture, something it is increasingly struggling with in the age of AI. While Xi is kept up at night by the Chinese public’s support of American AI, the Biden administration is taking steps to solve his problem for him. 

Instead, we need to accelerate our AI lead and leverage it across global cultures. We need to do what we can to seed a diverse selection of American models around the world. As immigrants from Hong Kong, my parents understood the intrinsic allure American values have to every person on Earth who wants to be free. Our number one AI policy goal should be to ensure the world’s software stack continues to be built on American and allied technology. Instead of restricting software exports, expand the reach of American software. Stay true to the free and open values that brought us here by encouraging domestic research and open source development.