Make America Innovate Again

A new Sputnik moment: China’s AI leap and how America should respond.

By John Mac Ghlionn, researcher and cultural commentator

With an economy on the brink of collapse, a population crisis, and a tech sector hindered by state control, Western analysts have been predicting China’s decline for years. But those waiting for Beijing to fade into irrelevance might be waiting forever. 

In the 20th century, military might was measured in aircraft carriers and nuclear stockpiles. In the 21st, it will be decided by AI dominance. 

And right now, China appears to be winning.

China’s Mic Drop Moment

First came DeepSeek, China’s response to OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Unlike its Western counterparts, which depend on large budgets and some of the top AI talent in the world, DeepSeek was reportedly developed at a fraction of the cost, using a fundamentally different approach. Crucially, China “sourced” much of its training data from the United States, raising serious questions about intellectual property and cybersecurity.

Despite allegedly spending far less than OpenAI—claims that, like all grand pronouncements from Beijing, should be taken with a generous helping of salt—China produced an AI model that rivaled its American counterparts. Unlike previous Chinese models, which often lagged behind in reasoning and coding tasks, DeepSeek excels in areas that typically require immense computational power and high-quality training data.

This is significant for several reasons. First, it challenges the idea that only Silicon Valley billionaires and Western tech giants can drive AI innovation. China is demonstrating that with the right strategies—whether through efficiency, aggressive data collection, outright theft, or state-backed initiatives—it can develop AI as powerful as what’s being created in the U.S. Second, it indicates that China is rapidly closing the AI gap, which could shift the global balance of power. Today’s AI isn’t about chatbots. It shapes military strategy, protects and disrupts national security, influences financial markets, and guides public opinion. The nation that masters AI will likely hold the greatest global influence.

DeepSeek was, at least briefly, China’s most powerful AI system. But then came Qwen 2.5, developed by Alibaba—China’s equivalent of Amazon. In under a month, China not only created one of the most advanced AI models in its history but then surpassed it almost immediately. This kind of rapid iteration is a clear sign that China’s AI industry is accelerating at an unprecedented rate.

This fact is not lost on Silicon Valley. Earlier this month, Sam Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, admitted that the company is “on the wrong side of history” when it comes to competing with China, and that it needs a new open-source strategy in response to DeepSeek’s sudden rise. 

This should serve as a wake-up call not only for Altman but for the American public. In fact, this could be the biggest wake-up call since Sputnik in 1957, which ignited a technological arms race. In the U.S. that shock led to a huge increase in science and defense spending—DeepSeek might have a similar impact on AI.

But to fully understand what we are dealing with, we must first acknowledge what we are facing.

The narrative surrounding China’s AI initiative has mainly been portrayed as a geopolitical rivalry between two adversaries. However, this blinkered perspective ignores the bigger picture. This isn’t just an algorithm-driven arms race between the U.S. and China; it’s about the future of AI itself and who will control the digital infrastructure in the years to come.

Other nations are surely taking note. Suppose China’s claims about developing cutting-edge AI for a few million dollars are accurate. In that case, countries like Singapore and South Korea—previously looking to Silicon Valley for leadership—might now redirect their focus toward Beijing. If this occurs, the ripple effects will reach far beyond technology. 

A strategy is needed.

The Easter Island Phenomenon

Silicon Valley once drove America’s tech dominance. Today, however, it resembles an Easter Island statue—a massive, oversized head balancing on a fragile, neglected base. At first, it served as a powerful incubator, driving innovation and enhancing the U.S. economy. From the microchip to the personal computer, the internet to the smartphone, nearly every major technological breakthrough in the past fifty years emerged from the Valley. Companies like Intel, Apple, and Google transformed entire industries, established global standards, and essentially created our digital infrastructure.

Sadly, though, that dominance is diminishing. If in doubt, look at the iPhone, once a pioneering, disruptive device. Today, new models offer only minor upgrades—slightly improved cameras, a new chip, perhaps a different charging port—with Apple prioritizing profit maximization over genuine innovation. The iPhone 15 Pro, for example, introduced a titanium frame and a USB-C port—hardly headline-making changes, especially when compared to earlier leaps like Face ID or Retina displays. Even the new A-series chips deliver only modest performance gains over previous versions, making annual upgrades feel increasingly unnecessary. Meanwhile, Apple continues to hike prices while cutting costs, such as removing accessories from the box, reinforcing the idea that boosting the bottom line takes precedence over true technological breakthroughs.

The contrast between the company’s past and present leadership tells its own story. Steve Jobs was a brilliant maverick, a risk-taker who pushed boundaries and forced the world to think differently. In stark contrast, Tim Cook, the current CEO, is more of a pencil-pushing civil servant, a master of supply chains and corporate efficiency, but not of vision. Under his leadership, Apple has become obsessed with incrementalism, squeezing every last dollar out of existing products (and customers) rather than redefining technology itself. Like the iPhone, the MacBook lineup follows the same formula—Apple removed touch bars, reintroduced function keys, and called it progress. This relentless focus on milking existing products mirrors a larger trend in Silicon Valley, where risk-taking has given way to safe, iterative updates, prioritizing shareholder returns over bold technological leaps. This shift is a microcosm of Silicon Valley’s broader decline.

For this reason, among others, simply throwing more money at Sam Altman and his Silicon Valley circle won’t solve the AI issue. A broader, nationwide effort is necessary—one that unites Silicon Valley and everyday Americans.

Empowering American Workers

A mere 20 years ago, a blip on the historical timescale, the U.S. was the global leader in science, engineering, and technical education. However, in 2025, the country’s capacity to train skilled workers in AI, robotics, and advanced computing is lagging. 

China graduates nearly three times as many STEM students per year as the U.S. This has been the trend for years. By the time an American student enrolls in their first university-level AI course, their Chinese counterpart has been coding since they were toddlers. We need to close that gap to simply attempt to keep up.

It’s not just about China excelling; the U.S. is also falling short on its own terms. While America has worked to make STEM appealing, it hasn’t succeeded. The nation continues to produce more social science and business graduates than engineers. These fields, despite offering value to both graduates and American reindustrialization, but they aren’t aligned with the current trajectory of technological dominance. America needs more of the type of people who understand not just the importance of the technology, but how to deploy it.

This issue goes beyond education; it is a matter of survival in a world changing more rapidly than ever. China is inundating the market with AI-savvy workers, while the U.S. clings to outdated credentials that fail to translate into practical skills.

This brings us to arguably the most crucial question: What should America do?

President Trump has pledged to “Make America Great Again,” a bold and noble promise. However, in 2025, greatness extends far beyond manufacturing and trade—the two pillars he seems most focused on. The true battleground for global dominance is technological sovereignty with AI at its core. Nations that lead in AI will shape the future, while those that fall behind will become dependent on their rivals. Addressing economic concerns while neglecting AI risks ceding control to China over a technology poised to reshape not just trade and industry, but every aspect of modern life.

Just as the defense industry once flourished in regional hubs, AI needs to break free from Silicon Valley’s grip. To be clear, Silicon Valley should certainly be involved, but it must not have complete control over America’s AI future. Over-centralization stifles competition, limits job creation in other areas, and concentrates too much economic and strategic power in one location. 

OpenAI’s plan to build data center “campuses” in 16 states is a step toward broader economic distribution. This push is part of Stargate, a joint venture with Oracle and SoftBank, aimed at injecting billions into AI infrastructure. If realized, these centers will provide the raw computing power for AI development while revitalizing industrial regions. With serious investment and strategy, Stargate could help re-industrialize key areas and ensure AI’s benefits aren’t consigned to the West Coast. But infrastructure alone isn’t enough—AI’s expansion must be matched by a capable workforce, blending raw computing power with real brainpower. Trump, to his credit, has signaled a commitment to making this happen, promising to bring development and advanced manufacturing back to heartland America.

The U.S. requires individuals capable of bridging the gap between the digital and physical worlds. Currently, America’s labor force is divided into highly specialized, degree-dependent tech jobs and a shrinking blue-collar sector with little connection between them. That model is seriously outdated because the next generation of AI-driven manufacturing, automation, and robotics will demand workers who understand both software and hardware, theory and application. 

A shift to something better must start immediately. High school AI, automation, and robotics apprenticeship programs should be introduced to ensure young Americans gain hands-on experience before entering college. Countries like Germany and the aforementioned South Korea have long integrated vocational training into their education systems, producing a skilled workforce that smoothly transitions into high-tech industries. A similar approach in the U.S. could equip students with practical AI and automation expertise, ensuring they aren’t just passive consumers of technology but active participants in shaping its future. Furthermore, this would provide an alternative to the traditional four-year degree path, allowing students to develop in-demand technical skills without the burden of student debt.

Technical schools should expand beyond software and focus on AI hardware, semiconductor design, and real-world machine learning applications in various industries. Without such measures, America risks further entrenching a two-tier labor force—one dominated by elite technologists and another left behind by automation.

Make Math Great Again

None of this change is possible without a strong foundation in mathematics, the true operating system of the modern world. AI, quantum computing, cybersecurity, and automation—all cutting-edge fields—depend on advanced math. Yet, American students are struggling to grasp the fundamentals. 

Worse still, there is little cultural respect for math in the U.S. Unlike in Russia, where mathematicians are celebrated as national heroes, American students are rarely encouraged to view the subject as anything beyond a school requirement. That mindset is destructive. If the U.S. wants to lead in AI, it must address its math crisis first. This means investing in better education, improving teacher training, and—most importantly—fostering a genuine love for the subject from an early age. Math should inspire, not intimidate.

A shift in math education wouldn’t just benefit future AI researchers—it could transform the entire workforce. A more robust mathematical education would give future workers the tools to navigate the AI-driven fields of tomorrow. Imagine blue-collar workers trained in AI-assisted automation, robotics, and predictive maintenance armed with a stronger grasp of the mathematical principles underpinning their tools. In manufacturing, workers could better understand and optimize AI-driven quality control systems; in construction, they could harness advanced modeling software with greater precision. Entire industries would be elevated making them more competitive and resilient in an AI-powered economy.

The administration could accelerate this shift by funding apprenticeship grants and incentivizing businesses to invest in AI-focused worker training. A national AI workforce initiative, backed by federal and private-sector partnerships, would ensure that American workers aren’t just keeping pace with the technological revolution—they’re leading it.

We are living through a pivotal moment in history—AI is set to reshape the lives of all Americans. Workers, parents, and students deserve a say in shaping the future. But that won’t happen unless they are actively included in the conversation. AI should be developed by and for the American people, not dictated by a handful of tech elites or outsourced to foreign interests, and the administration can play a role in that process. 

Just as it takes a village to raise a child, it requires a united, forward-thinking nation to ensure that each child has a stake in the future. Right now, the future is taking shape—with or without America’s leadership. The real question is whether the U.S. will take the reins or watch from the sidelines as others seize the moment.