US-China AI rivalry reveals Washington’s deepening strategic contradictionsArtificial intelligence has become the latest battleground in the intensifying strategic competition between the United States and China. National security officials argue that restricting Chinese AI companies is necessary to protect America’s technological leadership and prevent strategic competitors from gaining influence. Economic agencies, however, recognize that many American firms benefit from access to affordable AI technologies, international supply chains, and global markets. Ultimately, the controversy surrounding Chinese AI models is about far more than artificial intelligence. What is increasingly clear, however, is that inconsistent policies and conflicting objectives will become more difficult to sustain as technological competition accelerates.