Addressing the American Approach to Emerging Technologies: Utilizing the AI Arms Race to Highlight the Need to Develop Public-Private Partnerships in C4ISR and 5G

he world of emerging technologies has changed countries\u27 access and placement to these digital enablement tools of the future, with blockchain, decentralization, and a myriad of other compounding technologies accelerating the pace of development and growth combining the physical and the digital world. Historically, America\u27s Silicon Valley has led the world\u27s development of new technologies, particularly during the latter part of the digital revolution. In contrast, China focused on enhancing its manufacturing capabilities, becoming a world leader by capitalizing on the ever-connected world and leveraging its economic prowess. These roles became reversed in the early-2000s,1 when China first surpassed the United States in the output of artificial intelligence (AI)-specific scientific papers, demonstrating its commitment to becoming the world\u27s AI superpower. To solidify its emphasis on changing perceptions as a consumable goods manufacturer to a global leader in emerging technologies, the People\u27s Republic of China (PRC) unveiled its Made in China 2025 plan in May 2015.2 Made in China 2025 aims to invest in domestic innovations across 10 industries to reduce reliance on foreign technology and enable Chinese companies to compete globally. In this respect, the PRC\u27s plan to place emphasis on enhancing home-grown AI technologies serves as a cautiously aspirational tale of how critical public private partnerships are in terms of strategic competition. These partnerships are critical to drive innovation in AI and other fields as part of America\u27s shift to regain the competitive advantage