Paper
Beijing believes that true AI dominance will come from systems capable of autonomous operation in the physical world—AI-powered robotics, or embodied AI.
Pavlo Zvenyhorodskyi, Scott Singer
Projects — Technology and International Affairs
China AI Initiative
About the Project
The United States and China are defining the frontier of artificial intelligence, a technology poised to reshape societies, economies, and militaries around the world. Navigating this transition demands a grounded understanding of China, AI, and the wider geopolitical currents shaping them both.
The China AI Initiative seeks to tackle the most pressing problems at this intersection. Drawing on Chinese-language sources, fieldwork, and data, we combine deep knowledge of China’s AI ecosystem with an understanding of the technology and the way that other critical regions are engaging with it.
We:
- Deliver rigorous, digestible, and actionable analysis of China’s AI ecosystem, including the robotics industry, AI governance, and U.S.-China competition and engagement in AI.
- Convene leading voices from the United States, China, and beyond for grounded, productive dialogue on shared challenges in the age of AI.
- Build the wider community of analysts and institutions working to understand China’s AI ecosystem.
Programs
Our Team
Matt Sheehan
Senior Fellow, Asia Program
Matt Sheehan is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where his research focuses on global technology issues, with a specialization in China’s artificial intelligence ecosystem.
Scott Singer
Fellow, Technology and International Affairs
Scott Singer is a fellow in the Technology and International Affairs Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he works on global AI development and governance with a focus on China.
Dan Baer
Interim President
Dan Baer is the interim president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Under President Obama, he was U.S. ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and he also served deputy assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.
Arthur Nelson
Co-Director, Technology and International Affairs Program
Arthur Nelson is co-director of Carnegie’s Technology and International Affairs Program.
Leia Wang
Nonresident Scholar, Technology and International Affairs Program
Leia Wang is a nonresident scholar in the Technology and International Affairs Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Her work focuses on China’s AI industrial policy and U.S.-China technological competition.
Sophie Zhuang
James C. Gaither Junior Fellow, Asia Program
Sophie Zhuang is a James C. Gaither Junior Fellow in the Carnegie Asia Program.
Pavlo Zvenyhorodskyi
Senior Research Analyst, Technology and International Affairs
Pavlo Zvenyhorodskyi is a senior research analyst in the Technology and International Affairs Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Featured Content
Embodied AI: China’s Big Bet on Smart Robots
In The Media
With the success of DeepSeek, what does this reveal abut the future of U.S.-China competition, in their economies, global influence, and national security?
Matt Sheehan, Scott Singer
- •Foreign Policy
Paper
How face swap apps, investigative journalism, and corporate thought leadership shaped governance.
Matt Sheehan