According to MIT Technology Review, the obsession with artificial general intelligence has become the most consequential conspiracy theory of our time, with believers convinced we’re just two to five years away from either utopian problem-solving or apocalyptic destruction. The publication argues AGI represents a modern-day faith-based movement where people believe they’re living through a historic before-and-after moment. Meanwhile, in the global AI competition, China appears positioned to emerge as the 21st century’s AI superpower despite America’s current advantages in semiconductors, research, and data center investments. The analysis suggests China now has the means, motive, and opportunity to win through its ability to mobilize entire society resources for AI development and deployment.
The AGI Faith Movement
Here’s the thing about AGI hype—it’s basically the tech world’s version of waiting for the rapture. You’ve got true believers convinced the singularity is just around the corner, and they’re building their entire worldview around it. But what if we’re all just chasing a ghost? The AGI narrative gives people this sense of living through something monumental, but it might be distracting us from the actual AI developments happening right now that are reshaping society in much more mundane but equally important ways.
China’s Whole-of-Society Approach
While we’re busy debating whether AGI will save or destroy humanity, China is quietly building the infrastructure to dominate practical AI applications. And that’s where this gets really interesting. America might have the fancy chips and research papers, but China has something arguably more powerful: the ability to mobilize entire sectors toward a common goal. Think about it—when you can deploy AI across healthcare, transportation, and governance without worrying about privacy regulations or public debate, you can move incredibly fast. Does that mean they’ll necessarily win? Not necessarily, but betting against that kind of coordinated effort seems risky.
What Actually Matters
So where does this leave us? Probably focusing on the wrong things. The AGI debate feels like arguing about what color to paint the spaceship while the foundation is being poured. The real competition isn’t about who builds the first superintelligence—it’s about who deploys the most effective AI systems across their economy and society. And honestly, China’s approach of treating AI as a national priority rather than a Silicon Valley moonshot might be the smarter play in the medium term. They’re playing chess while we’re debating theoretical physics.
The Real Winners and Losers
Look, the companies and countries that win the AI race won’t be the ones that achieve AGI first—they’ll be the ones that integrate AI most effectively into daily life and industry. China’s whole-of-society model could give it a massive deployment advantage, even if American companies continue leading in fundamental research. The real impact? We might see a world where China dominates applied AI in manufacturing, logistics, and governance, while the West leads in consumer applications and research. But here’s the kicker—deployment scale often drives innovation faster than pure research alone. So who’s really ahead? It depends what you’re measuring.
