Elon Musk says one factor could decide who wins AI race

Given the growing relevancy of artificial intelligence, one cannot ignore its geopolitical importance. Global superpowers China and the US are racing to expand the foothold in the competitive landscape.

So a pertinent question always makes rounds on the internet: Who can win the AI race? Elon Musk has his answer.

In an interview on a podcast Verdict with Ted Cruze, the CEO of SpaceX emphasizes that the AI race is largely a competition with China. He argues that the winner will be determined by control over AI chip fabrication.

Musk warns if China invades Taiwan, "the world would be cut off from advanced AI chips." He says almost all advanced AI chip factories are currently in Taiwan.

"Whoever controls the factories that make the AI chips will win the race. If more are controlled by China, then China will win,” he adds.

According to Musk, the only determinant of winning the race is the number of factories a country hosts to make the AI chips. He also stresses the critical national security importance of establishing domestic manufacturing capabilities

The competition between the United States and China in artificial intelligence has intensified into a defining geopolitical and technological rivalry. Often called an "AI Cold War", the contest ranges from foundational research, semiconductor manufacturing, and commercial market share, to national security. As a result, China is striving to accomplish semiconductor self-sufficiency.

To boost domestic production of chips, Washington slammed aggressive export controls on advanced semiconductors, including high-end GPUs and enacted policies like the CHIPS and Science Act to protect the domestic supply.

Tensions between two nations have also escalated over the AI distillation claims as the US tech companies blamed the Chinese tech firms for stealing American technology and data to train AI models.

However, Beijing has always rejected such accusations.