| Summary: | In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content: Artificial intelligence (AI) is considered the most revolutionary technology of our generation. Over the past decade, significant advancements in research and the exponential growth of computational capabilities have greatly enhanced AI systems, rendering their integration into our daily lives not only feasible but ever more inevitable. As a result, AI is being increasingly adopted within various industries, such as healthcare, education, commerce, banking and financial services, critical infrastructure, and security, in both the public and private sectors. It is predicted that the global AI market will exceed $100 billion by 2025.
The potential disruptive nature of AI has meant that it has become an important strategic sector in global international politics. In particular, in the growing geopolitical tensions between the United States and China, AI has emerged as the new frontier of their rivalry, epitomizing the modern technological marathon toward global AI supremacy. Reminiscent of the space race of the twentieth century, this new AI race encapsulates the high-stakes competition in which one nation's triumph could ostensibly usher in a new epoch of technological and economic hegemony, leaving other countries in its wake. Central to this rivalry is the United States' strategic move to curb China's access to pinnacle AI technologies that is propelling a narrative of self-reliance within the Chinese AI sector.
This essay seeks to delineate the contours of this rivalry, highlighting the efforts of China to forge global partnerships, especially in Southeast Asia, to buttress its position in the global AI race. The essay begins with an examination of China's AI development and how the country has responded to U.S. efforts to curb these advances. Next, it looks at China's turn toward Southeast Asia in AI development. The essay then narrows its focus to identify the actors and patterns of Chinese engagement with entities in Southeast Asia on AI issues before offering a brief conclusion.
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