Key facts
- The U.S. risks losing the AI race to China if AI causes destabilizing unemployment, according to Gina Raimondo.
- Raimondo stated that destabilizing unemployment would lead to a weaker America and subsequent regulations.
- Eric Holcomb believes Americans must win the AI race for global tech supremacy.
- Raimondo and Holcomb co-founded RAISE US to retrain the American workforce amid AI-driven economic upheaval.
- Failure to address AI safety and security issues will also hinder U.S. competition with China, Raimondo said.
The United States risks losing its competitive edge in artificial intelligence to China if the technology leads to widespread job losses and economic instability, former Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said Wednesday. Speaking at POLITICO’s Decoded Summit in Washington, Raimondo emphasized that a nation grappling with "destabilizing unemployment" would be weakened and likely face increased regulation, hindering its ability to compete globally.
Raimondo, a Democrat and former Rhode Island governor, stated, "People say all the time, ‘We have to beat China.’ Sign me up for that mission. I want to beat China too." However, she cautioned, "You’re not going to beat China if you have destabilizing unemployment. That is a weaker America which will lead to regulations."
Former Republican Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb, who shared the stage with Raimondo, echoed the sentiment that AI's success is tied to its benefit for Americans. He asserted that winning the AI race means "Americans need to win this race," highlighting the potential for AI to elevate the U.S. if its workforce is prepared for future jobs.