Countries must move beyond seeing AI as a race, where one side must beat the other
This story raises questions about governance, accountability, and American values.
The polite framing in much of the mainstream coverage is that AI competition is a misunderstanding, and that if countries would simply cooperate, the best outcomes would follow. That sounds humane, but it also assumes trust is free and that strategic rivals play by the same rules. Conservatives are skeptical because AI is not just a research project.
New Republican Times Editorial Board
When it comes to AI, cooperation between countries can yield greater benefits than working alone.
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New Republican Times Editorial Board
The polite framing in much of the mainstream coverage is that AI competition is a misunderstanding, and that if countries would simply cooperate, the best outcomes would follow. That sounds humane, but it also assumes trust is free and that strategic rivals play by the same rules.
Conservatives are skeptical because AI is not just a research project. It is an engine for intelligence, cyber tools, surveillance, and industrial power. Calling it “not a race” can become an excuse to blur lines on export controls, data security, and research partnerships that are easily exploited. National security is not paranoia, and public trust does not survive elite agreements that ignore obvious risks.
Cooperation is fine where it is verifiable. But the baseline has to be rule of law, fairness to American workers, and strategic clarity about who benefits. The principle at stake is simple: collaboration should never outrun accountability.
Commentary written with AI assistance by the New Republican Times Editorial Board.