China nearly on par with US in AI, Trump official warns

China is just three to six months behind the United States in artificial intelligence development, according to David Sacks, a former Trump administration official and current White House adviser on AI and cryptocurrency, Reuters reported. 

Speaking at the AWS Summit in Washington on Tuesday, Sacks said the gap between the two powers is far narrower than many assume.

“China is not years and years behind us in AI. Maybe they’re 3–6 months,” he stated, calling the race "very close".

Sacks warned that overregulating AI in the US could allow China to catch up or even overtake American innovation. 

His comments come amid increasing bipartisan concern in Washington over China’s technological ambitions, particularly in sensitive areas such as AI, quantum computing and military applications.

The US has implemented a raft of export controls and investment restrictions targeting China’s semiconductor and AI industries, but experts caution that Beijing is rapidly advancing its domestic capabilities through state-led initiatives.