In an interview on Fox Business’ Mornings with Maria, American Edge Project CEO Doug Kelly outlined the urgent need for America to counter China’s aggressive push for global AI leadership through a comprehensive national innovation strategy.
Kelly highlighted bipartisan polling data showing overwhelming concern about China’s AI capabilities while defending the critical importance of the 10-year moratorium on state-based AI legislation currently under congressional consideration.
Kelly detailed how China’s three-part strategy to seize global tech leadership threatens American national security and economic growth, arguing that the U.S. must embrace its innovation strengths rather than focus on restrictive AI regulations that would undermine America’s competitive advantage.
A transcript of the interview can be found below and you can also watch the interview here.
VOTERS WANT AMERICA TO LEAD IN GLOBAL AI RACE:
“Look, those numbers are really powerful, right? The voters understand that China is aggressively executing a plan to become a global tech leader, and their focus has been on artificial intelligence, so America has to do the very same thing. In fact, one of the things in our poll too showed that a vast majority of MAGA voters were concerned about China becoming the AI leader as well. So these are table setters for members of Congress and the President say, Hey, listen, we’ve got work to do in boosting, accelerating American edge, American innovation. And so let’s get down to business.”
KELLY ON THE CRITICAL IMPORTANCE OF THE 10-YEAR AI REGULATION MORATORIUM
“It means embracing our strength. For example, President Trump gets the importance of beating China, right, but too many lawmakers in the US House and around state houses across the country are focused on regulating AI and undermining our ability to become the global innovation leader. That’s why, when the House passed the 10-year moratorium on state-based AI legislation, that was really critical, because that’s going to help unlock a lot of growth. And we’ve seen this before.
“In the early days of the Internet, the House and the Senate came together and said, look, we want to grow this technology, we want to make sure American Internet standards become the global standards, and so they prohibited internet taxes by the states. Fast forward 20 years, America’s internet is the global standard. So we have right now a modern-day, moonshot moment for the President and the Congress.
“They can put an American innovation strategy front and center that helps accelerate AI development, that helps build the technology talent pool of the future, that invests in our infrastructure, and also spreads American AI across the globe. If they do those four things, it will fundamentally change the balance of power towards America for the next 50 years. But if we don’t do it, China is going to seize that moment.”
AI IS AMERICA’S MODERN-DAY MOONSHOT MOMENT:
“We have right now a modern-day, moonshot moment for the President and the Congress. They can put an American innovation strategy front and center that helps accelerate AI development, that helps build the technology talent pool of the future, that invests in our infrastructure, and also spreads American AI across the globe. If they do those four things, it will fundamentally change the balance of power towards America for the next 50 years. But if we don’t do it, China is going to seize that moment.”
AMERICANS NEED TO THINK LONG-TERM ABOUT AI STRATEGY
“China thinks in terms of 100-year intervals with detailed strategic plans every single five years, right? And sometimes we’re too focused on quarterly results or two-year election cycles, et cetera. We have to think longer term. So when I talk about this national innovation strategy, it’s pretty simple, right? That’s a strategy that doubles down on what makes America great, right? Innovation, people, infrastructure, and spreading American values across the globe. If we are able to do that by Congress and President Trump coming together and saying, Look, we’re going to set we’re going to set this together, we’re going to lock in this foundation. For decades to come. Then, just like President Kennedy did with his moon shot, that changed the balance of power for five decades. We can do the same here right now. It’s right at our fingertips. But here’s the thing, the stakes are incredibly high. China is running full speed at it, and we have to run faster and work harder. But it starts in Washington. It starts in the state capitals of green like we are in a race for future leadership, and if we don’t win this way we are going to fall behind in a way we can catch up so American innovation matters it matters which country builds the future.
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