By Arjun Kharpal
Publication Date: 2026-02-18 16:25:00
Microsoft President Brad Smith speaks at a press conference at the Representation of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia about future visions for the development and application of artificial intelligence in education in NRW in Berlin on June 4, 2025.
Soeren Stache | Picture Alliance | Getty Images
American tech companies should “worry a little bit” about the subsidies their Chinese competitors receive from their government in the AI race, Microsoft President Brad Smith told CNBC.
As competition between U.S. and Chinese companies intensifies to develop the most advanced models, Smith said that the U.S. has “an advantage in terms of access to the most powerful chips in the world” and “other technology innovation.”
But, speaking in an interview on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, India, he also said: “I do think we always have to think about, maybe even worry a little bit about Chinese subsidies.”
Chinese AI companies have been supported by their government with…