Today on Moment of Zen, we're sharing a conversation from the 2024 Hill and Valley Forum with the founders of Scale AI, Anthropic, and AI Fund on the urgent race between the U.S. and China in AI innovation.
Moderated by Senator Cory Booker and featuring Alexandr Wang, Jack Clark, and Andrew Eng, the panel covers why American AI leadership is at risk, and how smarter policy and faster deployment are critical to maintaining a competitive edge. (Note: that this conversation took place before the DeepSeek breakthrough.)
Keep an eye out for the 2025 Hill and Valley Forum on Wednesday, April 30 — and subscribe to the Hill & Valley podcast in the episode description to listen to every panel.
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/39s4MCyt1pOTQ8FjOAS4mi
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hill-valley/id1692653857
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HillValleyForum
--
📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess
🙏 Help shape our show by taking our quick listener survey at https://bit.ly/TurpentinePulse
--
SPONSORS: NETSUITE | SHOPIFY | ADQUICK
Over 41,000 businesses trust NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud ERP, to future-proof their operations. Whether you're earning millions or hundreds of millions, NetSuite empowers you to tackle challenges and seize opportunities. Download the free CFO's guide to AI and machine learning at https://netsuite.com/zen.
Shopify is the world's leading e-commerce platform, offering a market-leading checkout system Shoppay and exclusive AI apps. Nobody does selling better than Shopify. Get a $1 per month trial at https://shopify.com/momentofzen.
The easiest way to book out-of-home ads (like billboards, vehicle wraps, and airport displays) the same way you would order an Uber. Ready to get your brand the attention it deserves? Visit https://adquick.com/ today to start reaching your customers in the real world.
--
X / TWITTER:
@CoryBooker
@AndrewYNg
@alexandr_wang@jackclarkSF
@eriktorenberg
@turpentinemedia
--
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DISCUSSION:
US-China AI competition:
The panelists strongly disagree with the Rand Corporation's assessment that China won't produce major AI advances
Jack Clark emphasized that underestimating China's creativity would be "chronically stupid"
Alex Wang noted Chinese companies have built some of the best open-source AI models in the world
Regulation approach:
The panelists generally advocated for minimal regulation that doesn't stifle innovation
Andrew Ng compared AI to electricity (not a "dual-use" but "multi-use" technology) that shouldn't be over-regulated
The panel suggested regulating specific applications rather than the foundational technology
National security concerns:
Alex Wang expressed that the US Department of Defense is using AI too slowly compared to adversaries
The panelists identified bureaucracy as a major obstacle to the US military adopting AI quickly enough
They described a "triple whammy" situation: rapidly advancing technology, increasing global conflicts, and risk-seeking leadership in rival nations
Infrastructure needs:
Jack Clark advocated for US investment in computing infrastructure to maintain leadership
He mentioned permit reform as surprisingly crucial for AI advancement to build data centers
The panel discussed the need for the US to compete with Middle Eastern countries' massive AI investments
Future vision (2055):
Jack Clark: Everyone will have customized education and tutoring
Alex Wang: Scientific breakthroughs will make sci-fi futures a reality
Andrew Ng: Intelligence will become cheap and accessible to everyone, not just the wealthy