What role do the state of technological innovation and competitiveness in the United States have in national power? We offer recommendations for research and development policy, science and technology strategy, and research security. We also weigh in on the use of investments and incentives to strengthen the innovation ecosystem; export controls, sanctions and related policies to protect intellectual property and sensitive technologies; and trade rules and antitrust approaches to promote a fair and vibrant competitive environment.

Reports

Open Models, Soft Power, and the Spectrum of U.S.-China Artificial Intelligence Competition

Owen Daniels and Hanna Dohmen

| March 26, 2026

The competition between the United States and China regarding artificial intelligence (AI) is entering a new phase and is increasingly focused on influencing the global AI ecosystem. Although national security is an important consideration in the U.S.-China AI rivalry, it represents only one dimension of a broader and nuanced competition.

Reports

China’s Military AI Wish List

Emelia Probasco, Sam Bresnick, and Cole McFaul

| February 2026

This report examines thousands of Chinese-language open-source requests for proposal (RFPs) published by the People’s Liberation Army between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2024. The RFPs the authors reviewed offer insights into the PLA’s priorities and ambitions for AI-enabled military technologies associated with C5ISRT: command, control, communications, computers, cyber,...

Reports

China’s Embodied AI: A Path to AGI

William Hannas, Huey-Meei Chang, Valentin Weber, and Daniel Chou

| December 2025

China is embracing “embodied AI”—artificial intelligence integrated with physical agents, such as robots and drones—both for commercial reasons and as a path to artificial general intelligence (AGI). The trend reflects China’s signature approach to AI, which recognizes diverse paths to AI dominance vis-à-vis the large models favored in the United...

Blog

Tracking AI Chips: What Does It Cost?

Jacob Feldgoise, Kyle Miller, and Hanna Dohmen

| September 17, 2026

In an accompanying report, we found that two methods are best for verifying the location of AI chips: ping-based location verification (PLV) and physical inspections. This piece compares these two methods through a cost-benefit analysis and shows that PLV is the more cost effective approach. We conclude that the most...

Blog

Inside Beijing’s Chipmaking Offensive, One Year On

Hanna Dohmen and Jacob Feldgoise

| September 1, 2026

One year after CSET first published an analysis of China’s progress in the global semiconductor manufacturing equipment market, we provide a new analysis based on updated 2025 data. We find that Chinese toolmakers continue to steadily gain market share in fabrication tools, particularly in ion implanters, deposition, and etch and...

Blog

Helen Toner Discusses U.S.-China AI Race at Aspen Ideas Festival

Emily Tavenner

| June 2026

CSET Executive Director Helen Toner spoke about the global AI competition at the Aspen Ideas Festival.

Hanna Dohmen

Senior Research Analyst

Jacob Feldgoise

Senior Data Research Analyst

A CSET explainer was highlighted in an article published by Bloomberg. The article discusses new bipartisan legislation that would restrict U.S. companies, including Nvidia, from exporting advanced AI chips to China, reinforcing existing controls and shaping the future of U.S. technology policy.

Owen J. Daniels and Hanna Dohmen shared their expert analysis in an article published by Foreign Affairs. In their piece, they examine how China's release of advanced open AI models, such as DeepSeek’s R1 and Moonshot AI’s Kimi K2, is challenging U.S. dominance in the global AI landscape and reshaping international influence.

Jacob Feldgoise and Hanna Dohmen shared their expert insights in an article published by Bloomberg. The article discusses China’s ongoing struggle to develop advanced semiconductor lithography systems—technology crucial to its ambitions for technological self-sufficiency amid its trade and tech rivalry with the United States.

In his op-ed in DefenseScoop, Jack Corrigan discusses the U.S.'s first national security memorandum on artificial intelligence (AI), which emphasizes large "frontier" models from major tech firms as key to national security and technological leadership. He cautions, however, that this focus could stifle broader AI innovation and create reliance on costly, resource-intensive systems.

In an article published by The Wall Street Journal that delves into the changing economic dynamics between the U.S. and China, CSET's Ngor Luong provides her expert insight.

A CSET report written by Emily S. Weinstein and Ngor Luong was cited in an article by Foreign Policy. The article delves into Joe Biden's recent executive order to initiate restrictions on U.S. investment in three specific technology sectors in China: semiconductors, quantum information technologies, and artificial intelligence (AI).