Whoever Wins the AI Race Will Control the Future

The race for AI leadership between the United States and China is poised to define the 21st century. But what if success is not about outperforming an opponent, but about building technology that works better for everyone?

In this episode of Horizons, Austin Carson, Founder and CEO of the nonprofit SeedAI and a former congressional technology advisor, argues that America’s greatest advantage lies in the untapped brilliance of its people. From the halls of Congress to the infrastructure powering modern data centers, Carson outlines a vision for democratized AI development that serves real world community needs. He explores why stronger connections between policymakers and technologists matter and how public private partnerships can help unlock a new era of innovation, resilience and shared prosperity.

The AI race between the United States and China dominates today’s tech policy conversation, but what if we are defining “winning” the wrong way? In this episode of Horizons, the discussion reframes global competition, arguing that lasting leadership is not about outpacing an adversary, but about building AI that delivers meaningful value for people everywhere.

Austin Carson, Founder and CEO of the nonprofit SeedAI and former congressional technology advisor, outlines a new vision for American leadership in the AI era. He explains why even the most advanced AI will “unquestionably fail” if it is not grounded in real world needs, and why the path forward depends on democratizing innovation and unlocking talent across the entire country, not just a handful of coastal hubs.

We can spend trillions building Artificial General Intelligence, but will it solve the problems that matter most? In this episode of Horizons, policy expert and SeedAI Founder and CEO Austin Carson explores why even the most powerful AI will fall short if it is not designed to serve real world needs.

Austin challenges the idea that AI progress should be driven by centralized, top down control. Instead, he argues that lasting leadership in the AI era will come from unlocking broad based innovation and empowering people across the country to shape how technology is built and applied. It is a timely perspective on what it truly means to lead and win in the future of AI.