Artificial Intelligence: The New Battlefield Between the U.S. and China!
Introduction
In the contemporary international system, the competition between China and the United States in the field of artificial intelligence can be considered one of the most complex power struggles of the postmodern era. This confrontation extends beyond a mere technological rivalry and has evolved into a domain where classical concepts of war, power, and sovereignty are being redefined.
Unlike traditional conflicts, which could be analyzed within the framework of physical borders and military power, the AI war unfolds in a multi-layered and invisible space. China, relying on state control and extensive surveillance systems such as the “social credit system,” has adopted a data-driven authoritarian approach. In contrast, the United States, through the dominance of its tech giants over global digital infrastructures, pursues a liberal narrative of AI development.
In the postmodern world, there is no singular truth; rather, what is presented as reality is a product of power structures and technological mechanisms. Both China and the U.S. seek to leverage AI to shape global public opinion and impose their dominant narrative. On the one hand, intelligent algorithms and deepfakes have amplified the ability to generate and manipulate reality. On the other hand, cyber warfare and information infiltration operations have emerged as new instruments of domination.
Postmodernism, by challenging grand narratives and emphasizing the relativity and fluidity of concepts, has had a significant impact on international law. In this regard, Martti Koskenniemi, a prominent legal scholar, describes international law as a structure of argumentative moves and positions that possesses formal coherence while inherently remaining indeterminate. With the rise of AI and its applications in various fields, including military affairs, fundamental questions arise concerning the impact of this technology on law and international relations. The military use of AI, particularly in the form of algorithmic warfare, entails numerous strategic and legal consequences that necessitate a reassessment of traditional concepts in international law.
This war is no longer merely about innovation and technological advancement; rather, it is a struggle over the future of data sovereignty, global order, and the redefinition of power in an era where the distinction between reality and simulation is becoming increasingly blurred.
Conceptualizing the AI War
The term “AI Cold War” was first introduced in 2018 by Nicholas Thompson and Ian Bremmer in Wired. According to them, the origins of this AI Cold War—referred to in this paper as the “AI War”—can be traced back to 2017, when the Chinese government published its national AI development strategy. According to this document, the People’s Republic of China aims to become the global leader in artificial intelligence by 2030. It was around this time, in 2018, that cybersecurity and digital economy analysts warned of the emergence of an “Economic Iron Curtain,” a term coined to describe the growing technological and economic divide between China and the West.
In their article, Thompson and Bremmer advocate for ethical AI development and improved standards rather than allowing AI to become a battlefield for U.S.-China rivalry. This concern was echoed at the 2025 Davos summit, where even Pope Francis addressed the risks associated with AI competition.
The U.S. and China: Competing Realities in a Postmodern Order
Fareed Zakaria and Hemant Taneja argue that the AI War signals the emergence of a new global geopolitical order. This new order reflects a shift away from U.S.-led unipolarity toward a multipolar—not bipolar—world. A key indicator of this transformation is the existence of two parallel digital ecosystems, controlled by the leading Western and Eastern powers—namely, the United States and China. Zakaria and Taneja propose a strategic alignment between self-proclaimed democratic states and the U.S., emphasizing technological integration and a process they call “Re-Globalization.”
However, the AI rivalry between China and the U.S. extends beyond technological competition—it has become a battleground for competing narratives. The United States champions open information and decentralized innovation, whereas China advances its authoritarian model through data control and state surveillance.
In the postmodern order, there is no single truth; instead, each power constructs and reproduces its own reality through technology. China, by leveraging AI in its social credit system and digital surveillance apparatus, has redefined social control. Meanwhile, the U.S., through the dominance of its tech giants over information flows, reinforces its algorithmic hegemony.
In this information war, deepfakes, predictive algorithms, and cyber operations have emerged as new instruments of dominance. Consequently, the AI War is not merely a technological race—it is a struggle for power, legitimacy, and the very definition of reality in the international order, where the boundary between truth and simulation grows increasingly indistinct.
The End of Grand Narratives: An Uncertain Future Ahead
In the modernist era, the ideas of progress and grand truths served as the foundational pillars of societal development. However, the emergence of postmodernism challenged these grand narratives, bringing concepts such as simulation and hyperreality to the forefront. Jean Baudrillard, by introducing the notion of hyperreality, argues that in postmodern societies, the distinction between reality and simulation has vanished, leaving us in a world of representations and illusions.
Within this theoretical framework, the AI competition between the United States and China can be analyzed as a form of postmodern warfare—battles no longer fought on physical battlefields but in digital and informational realms. Both countries have invested heavily in AI to gain technological supremacy, a development with profound implications for global power structures.
China, through long-term strategic planning and state-backed initiatives, aims to become the world’s AI leader by 2030. Chinese companies such as Baidu, Tencent, and Alibaba are at the forefront of AI advancements, with government policies accelerating this progress. On the other hand, the U.S., relying on its dominant tech giants and continuous innovation, seeks to maintain its leadership. However, the intensifying competition with China poses a significant challenge for the U.S., raising concerns over the potential erosion of its technological supremacy.
This dynamic raises a fundamental question: Will this rivalry ultimately lead to the victory of one side, or, as Baudrillard suggests, are we trapped in an endless cycle of simulations where the distinction between reality and illusion has dissolved? In other words, is the AI war merely a spectacle of power with no tangible outcome?
Drawing on Baudrillard’s theories, one might argue that the AI competition between the U.S. and China exemplifies postmodern simulacra—a space where the boundary between reality and representation has faded. What is presented as progress and development may merely be a reproduction of existing power structures. This rivalry is not just about technology; it is also a battle of narratives and meanings. Each side seeks to impose its own vision of progress and dominance, reducing truth to a relative construct shaped by the power to control discourse. In this context, the question of whether the AI war will have a definitive winner becomes secondary; in the postmodern world, even the concept of victory itself becomes a matter of interpretation. What may matter more is not the final outcome but the ongoing competition and the narratives constructed around it.
Conclusion
The competition between the United States and China in artificial intelligence transcends a mere technological race; it has evolved into a struggle for defining power and legitimacy in the international order. This war is no longer confined to physical borders but unfolds in the domains of digital networks, information control, and algorithmic governance. The U.S. promotes an AI model centered on open information and decentralized innovation, while China pursues a state-controlled, surveillance-driven approach.
Postmodernism, with its emphasis on the relativity of truth and the nature of simulation, offers a distinct perspective on this competition—one in which reality itself is constructed and reproduced by power structures. In this environment, cyber warfare, deepfakes, and information operations have emerged as new tools of dominance. Baudrillard’s theories suggest that the boundary between truth and simulation in this rivalry is becoming increasingly blurred.
The AI war will not only shape the future of technology but also the future of the global order. However, a critical question remains: Does victory in this competition hold any meaning, or are we merely caught in an endless cycle of simulation and illusion?
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