The real AI divide between China and the West lies not in chips or models, but in the stories we tell

When I first lived in China almost a decade ago, I was amazed by the dizzying size and sophistication of its digital infrastructure. When a driverless taxi took me around Shanghai last September (no security officer), it almost felt routine. It was normal to use ubiquitous “everything” apps (WeChat and Alipay) to connect to city services, pay for street food, and build a modest following on Bilibili (9 followers and counting). Hitting the hotel elevator with a small autonomous robot was fun, but not extraordinary.

What surprised me, however, was a trip to the newly built Shenzhen Science and Technology Museum. I was expecting a typical celebration of progress. Instead, the exhibition showcased recent AI advances through themes of national renewal, social stability and collective purpose. The contrast with Western narratives, which tend to emphasize market innovation and risk, was striking.

As China and the US-led West compete to develop AI, they are…