The United States must win the global race for AI supremacy against China. Our success depends on thriving innovation and robust investment – two integral parts of our national battle plan.
But the third part of the victory should not be overlooked: the US desperately needs an even better internet infrastructure. If we don’t increase our lead in 21st century connectivity, we will lose the battle for global AI leadership.
Right now, leaders in DC are debating the best approach to AI regulation. On the other side of the country, Silicon Valley is chasing the next breakthrough AI model. But even as the US does both things, Beijing plays a different game.
The Chinese Communist Party understands that AI supremacy depends on leveraging a national approach to building the infrastructure and connectivity needed to develop and deploy advanced AI systems. (Getty Images)
The Chinese Communist Party understands that AI supremacy depends not only on data and algorithms, but also on leveraging a national approach to building the infrastructure and connectivity needed to develop and deploy advanced AI systems. It’s building internet infrastructure to give the US an edge
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For example, China is challenging America’s long-standing leadership in Wi-Fi innovation by pushing its domestic standards internationally and focusing resources on homegrown wireless technologies at the expense of U.S. standards and technology, which have long led the way in Wi-Fi.
Wi-Fi matters because it is the primary technology consumers use to access AI on their devices. The ability to move, process and deliver data at scale is the backbone of AI. Every generative AI query, self-driving vehicle, and factory robot depends on the speed of light and reliable connectivity. If China takes the lead in any internet infrastructure, it will soon take the lead in AI.
The good news is that the US cable industry has made significant progress in building broadband networks that have the scale to meet this moment, with 87% already offering gigabit speeds and even more powerful capabilities on the horizon. Over the past two decades, $340 billion in private capital has been invested to build these powerful networks, which will generate $568.7 billion in economic output in 2024 alone and support more than 1.3 million jobs across the country.
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These infrastructure investments matter, but they must also be accompanied by government commitment as part of a national strategy to expand America’s Internet leadership. Such a strategy is not only crucial for the future use and reliability of AI; it would also increase the economic impact of such infrastructure. In California alone, cable infrastructure supports 209,000 jobs and provides $117 billion in economic impact to the state. Texas and Florida each account for more than 100,000 cable-related jobs.
This is what national power looks like: private capital fueling the public good. And with a national internet infrastructure strategy, that good could be multiplied on a large scale.
During a recent technology policy conversation I had with Rep. Brett Guthrie, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, he put the choice starkly: “We don’t compete with Europe to regulate, we compete with China to innovate.” He’s right. Europe’s over-regulation has already kept them out of the AI race. The US is still in the race, and if we hope to win it, we must continue to innovate and expand our internet infrastructure.
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Now is the time to leverage America’s strengths and double down on Wi-Fi capacity, broadband connectivity, and the infrastructure that makes them possible. Thanks to far-sighted national policies, Wi-Fi has been the workhorse of the Internet for years. It handles the vast majority of all internet traffic and connects our homes, offices, schools and factories.
It is also a uniquely American success story – one rooted in the value of permissionless innovation and rules that support freedom of access to public airwaves. Imagine if the federal government made that story even more successful by further expanding access to Wi-Fi. China would have no chance in the AI battle.
Winning the AI race requires focus and urgency. As soon as possible, DC leaders must create a national framework for broadband policy, replacing the current regulatory minefield holding back the infrastructure America needs.
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We also need better national policies on unlicensed spectrum – the radio frequencies that underpin Wi-Fi – to ensure our country’s continued Wi-Fi leadership. And we must maintain federal incentives that encourage private investment in internet infrastructure to meet AI’s massive data needs.
If we get this right, the United States will not only compete in the AI era – we will unquestionably lead it and leave China in the dust. The same networks that connect Americans today will secure our economic success, our technological leadership, and our national future tomorrow.
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