At a Senate hearing in the U.S. Congress on May 8, 2025, executives from OpenAI, Microsoft, AMD, and CoreWeave collectively called for increased infrastructure construction and easing export restrictions on AI chips. The hearing highlighted the competitive pressures facing the U.S. in the field of AI, as well as the strategic considerations of the U.S. tech community for future developments. In this article, China Exportsemi will combine relevant data and technical details to try to deeply analyze the reasons behind the urging of chip exports by US executives and their impacts, and at the same time discuss the current situation and future trends of AI competition between China and the United States.
Ⅰ The white-hot situation of AI competition between China and the United States
In recent years, the competition between China and the United States in the field of AI has become increasingly fierce. According to the "Global AI Vitality Ranking" released by the Stanford Center for Artificial Intelligence Institute, in 2023, the U.S. vitality index will reach 70.06, almost double that of China (40.17). However, compared to 2022, the gap between China and the United States is narrowing and the competition is becoming increasingly fierce.
China has outstanding performance in AI application layer technology, and has accumulated a large number of patents and practical experience in the fields of image recognition, speech recognition and autonomous driving. For example, in the field of computer vision, the market share of Chinese companies has reached 51%; In the field of speech recognition, it leads with a share of 62%. By the end of 2022, China had built 2.31 million 5G base stations and 1.845 billion IoT connections, achieving "5G connectivity for counties" and "broadband connectivity for every village", with more than 6.5 million standard racks of data centers in use across the country. The total scale of computing power ranks second in the world.
The United States has an advantage in key hardware fields, especially in the research and development of GPUs and AI-specific chips, forming a complete technology cluster from processor architecture to core algorithms. However, the development of the AI industry in the United States also faces many problems, such as lagging data center construction and limited chip supply. Against this backdrop, the Big Four U.S. executives are urging chip exports, aiming to consolidate their leading position in the global AI competition.
Ⅱ The reason why the four major executives in the United States called for chip exports
(1) Maintain the advantages of U.S. AI technology
AI chips are the core support of artificial intelligence technology, and the United States has the world's leading chip manufacturers such as NVIDIA and AMD in this field. However, as China's investment in AI chip research and development continues to increase, the U.S. technological advantage is facing challenges. For example, some high-tech companies in China have made significant progress in the field of AI chips, launching a number of high-performance chip products. If the U.S. continues to restrict chip exports, it could lead to a decline in its global market share, which in turn weakens its technological advantage.
Brad Smith, president of Microsoft, pointed out that the number one factor that will determine who will win the race between the United States and China is whose technology will be more widely adopted around the world. By easing chip export restrictions, the U.S. can make its advanced AI chip technology more widely used in the global market, thereby consolidating its technological leadership.
Pictured: Executives of the four largest AI companies in the United States testify before the Senate of the U.S. Congress
(2) Promote the development of the AI industry and infrastructure construction
The development of the AI industry is inseparable from the support of powerful computing power, and chips are the key to providing computing power. With the rapid development of AI technology, the demand for chips is exploding. According to Michael Intrator, CEO of CoreWeave, the computing power required for advanced AI models has increased by a factor of about 100,000 since 2008.
At present, the construction of AI infrastructure in the United States is relatively lagging behind, and it is difficult to meet the needs of the rapid development of the AI industry. As the core place of AI computing, the scale and speed of data center construction directly affect the R&D and application of AI technology. However, the number and scale of existing data centers in the U.S. cannot be compared to countries like China. By supporting the export of AI chips, the development of chip manufacturing enterprises can be promoted, and the construction of infrastructure such as data centers can be promoted, providing strong support for the development of the AI industry.
(3) Respond to global competition and market changes
Against the backdrop of increasingly competitive global AI markets, the United States needs to ensure that its AI technology can be widely used globally to maintain its dominant position in the global AI value chain. At present, the global AI market presents a diversified competitive landscape, and in addition to China, Europe, Japan and other regions are also actively promoting the development of the AI industry. If the United States fails to adjust its chip export policy in time, it may lead to a further decline in its global market share, which in turn will affect its competitiveness in the global AI industry.
In addition, with the acceleration of global digital transformation, the demand for AI technology is increasing in various industries. By easing chip export restrictions, the United States can better meet the global market's demand for AI chips and promote the application and implementation of AI technology in more fields, so as to take the lead in the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation.
Ⅲ The dilemma and challenges faced by the United States in AI chip exports
(1) Restrictions on export control policies
For a long time, the U.S. government has implemented strict export control policies on high-tech products such as AI chips due to national security considerations. Although these policies protect the technological advantages of the United States to a certain extent, they also limit the market expansion space of American AI chip companies. For example, in December 2024, it was revealed that the U.S. government is enacting new rules to restrict the sale of advanced AI chips to Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
A spokesman for the U.S. Department of Commerce has said that the Biden-era AI regulations are too complex and bureaucratic and will hinder U.S. innovation. The Trump administration also plans to revoke and revise Biden-era rules restricting the export of advanced AI chips in order to unleash the innovation potential of the United States and ensure U.S. dominance in the field of artificial intelligence. However, adjusting export control policies is not an easy task and requires finding a balance between national security and technology exports.
(2) The rise of China's AI industry
China's AI industry is developing rapidly and has become highly competitive in some areas. The Chinese government has introduced a series of policies and measures to support the development of the AI industry, promoting the widespread application of AI technology in various industries. For example, China has carried out a series of demonstration application projects in the fields of intelligent manufacturing, smart cities, and autonomous driving, promoting the deep integration of AI technology with traditional industries.
At the same time, China is also increasing investment in the research and development of AI chips and has made certain breakthroughs. For example, Chinese AI chip companies such as Cambrian and Horizon have launched a series of high-performance chip products, gradually narrowing the gap with the international advanced level. This has squeezed the share of the United States in the AI chip market to a certain extent, further intensifying the competitive pressure on the American AI industry.
(3) Uncertainty in the global industrial and supply chains
The uncertainty of the global industrial chain and supply chain has brought many challenges to the export of AI chips in the United States. On the one hand, trade protectionism is on the rise, and countries have taken measures to strengthen the protection of their own industries, which has affected the competitiveness of American AI chips in the international market to a certain extent. For example, the U.S. restrictions on chip exports to some countries have triggered dissatisfaction and retaliation from trading partners, further exacerbating global trade frictions.
On the other hand, the layout of the global semiconductor industry chain is also changing, and some countries and regions are increasing their investment in semiconductor manufacturing and other fields, gradually improving their industrial competitiveness. This has challenged the dominant position of the United States in the AI chip industry chain, and also increased the uncertainty of the export of AI chips in the United States.
Ⅳ The development strategy and prospect of the AI industry in the United States
(1) Adjust export control policies to promote chip exports
The U.S. government should re-examine its AI chip export control policy, and appropriately relax chip export restrictions for some countries and regions on the premise of ensuring national security. This will help U.S. AI chip companies expand their market share and enhance their competitiveness in the global AI industry. For example, differentiated export control measures can be implemented for AI chips of different types and performances, with export restrictions relaxed for low-risk, non-military chips and strict controls on high-risk, military-related chips.
At the same time, the U.S. government should also strengthen cooperation with allies to jointly formulate reasonable chip export policies to avoid excessive loss of market share due to differences in export control policies. By working with its allies, the United States can build a more stable and reliable supply chain for AI chips around the world and enhance its influence in the global AI industry.
(2) Increase investment in infrastructure construction to support AI development
The U.S. government should increase investment in AI infrastructure, including data centers, high-speed networks, and energy supply. As the core carrier of AI computing, the scale and performance of data centers are directly related to the R&D and application efficiency of AI technologies. The United States can learn from the experience of China and other countries to formulate medium- and long-term development plans for data center construction, increase financial support for data center construction, and promote the large-scale and intensive development of data centers.
In addition, the United States should strengthen energy supply security to provide reliable support for the stable operation of AI infrastructure. The high energy consumption of AI computing requires data centers to have sufficient power supply, and the United States can improve the energy efficiency of data centers and reduce operating costs by developing clean energy and optimizing the layout of power grids.
(3) Strengthen education and talent training, and enhance innovation capabilities
The development of the AI industry is inseparable from a high-quality talent team. The United States should further strengthen AI-related education, improve the talent training system, and cultivate more AI talents with innovative ability and practical experience. For example, the United States can add AI-related majors and courses in colleges and universities to strengthen the practical teaching of AI courses and cultivate students' practical operation ability and problem-solving ability.
At the same time, the United States should also increase investment in AI research and development, support scientific research institutions and enterprises to carry out cutting-edge technology research, and improve their innovation capabilities in the field of AI. The government can encourage enterprises and scientific research institutions to increase investment in AI R&D through policy measures such as setting up special funds and tax incentives, so as to promote the continuous innovation and development of AI technology.
(4) Promote international cooperation and exchanges to jointly address challenges
AI is a global technology and development issue, and the United States should strengthen international cooperation and exchanges with other countries in the field of AI to jointly address the challenges brought about by AI development. For example, the United States can cooperate with Europe, Japan and other countries and regions in AI technology research and development, jointly carry out basic research and application development, and promote the sharing and exchange of AI technology.
In addition, the United States should actively participate in the formulation of international AI standards and promote the establishment of unified AI technology standards and norms. This will help improve the compatibility and interoperability of AI technologies, promote the global circulation and application of AI products, and create a more favorable international environment for the development of the AI industry in the United States.
V. Conclusions
The four major U.S. AI executives called for increased infrastructure construction and relaxed export restrictions on AI chips at congressional hearings, reflecting the deep thinking and strategic layout of the U.S. technology community for the future development of AI. In the context of increasingly fierce AI competition between China and the United States, the United States needs to make active adjustments and responses in infrastructure construction, chip exports, talent training, and regulatory policies to consolidate its leading position in the AI field.
However, in the process of promoting the export of AI chips, the United States also faces many difficulties and challenges, such as the restrictions of export control policies, the rise of China's AI industry, and the uncertainty of the global industrial chain and supply chain. On the premise of ensuring national security, the U.S. government should adjust its export control policies, strengthen infrastructure construction, enhance innovation capabilities, and strengthen international cooperation and exchanges to jointly promote the development and application of AI technology and make greater contributions to the progress of human society.
In short, the AI competition between China and the United States has entered a white-hot stage, and behind the four major U.S. executives urging chip exports is an in-depth consideration of the future development of the U.S. AI industry. In the context of the rapid development of the global AI industry, the United States needs to find a balance between competition and cooperation to achieve its sustainable development in the field of AI.
