Jeffrey Ding on why diffusion, not innovation, is the secret to victory in the AI race

South China Morning PostEN 1 min read 100% complete by Vincent ChowJanuary 25, 2026 at 11:00 PM

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Jeffrey Ding, a political science professor at George Washington University and author of "Technology and the Rise of Great Powers," argues that diffusion, rather than just innovation, is the key to winning the AI race. Ding, who also founded the ChinAI newsletter, made this point in an interview. His research focuses on the impact of technology, particularly AI, on geopolitical competition between countries like the US and China. The interview explores why the ability to broadly implement and utilize AI technologies will be more decisive than simply developing new AI breakthroughs. Ding's work examines the strategic implications of AI development and deployment on a global scale.

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Key Player Opposition Context

George Washington University 60% China ×280% United States 80% Jeffrey Ding ×290%

Keywords

ai race 100% artificial intelligence 90% diffusion 80% united states 70% innovation 70% china 70% geopolitical competition 60% technology 50% jeffrey ding 50%