Trump, Xi, and the race for superintelligence

ChinaTalk's Jordan Schneider joins Jerusalem Demsas and Matt Yglesias to compare how the U.S. and China are approaching artificial intelligence. They dive into the Trump-Xi summit, whether AI will change how politicians govern, and the limits of what Chinese AI models are allowed to say. They also discuss the gap in public opinion: why do so many people in China have positive expectations for AI while Americans are dooming?

Plus, a peer review on how childhood neighbors shape the careers we choose.

(0:00) AI, China, and the Trump-Xi summit

(3:50) Will AI replace politicians?

(8:26) Grok, DeepSeek, and who controls AI

(12:09) Can AI save Congress?

(22:25) Asking DeepSeek about Chinese Democracy

(26:45) Does AI break the development ladder?

(31:13) Why China is more optimistic about AI than America

(54:37) Corruption in China vs. the U.S.

(1:06:17) Why the White House wants to rebrand AI as "superintelligence"

(1:10:50) Peer Review: Do childhood neighbors shape your career?