On September 9, Professor Zhang Weining, Professor of Accounting at Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB), joined the World Knowledge Forum in Seoul, South Korea, as a distinguished panelist. The session, titled “Digital Silk Road vs. Silicon Valley: China’s Innovative Drive and U.S. Tech Rivalry”, featured a dynamic discussion alongside Professor Anindya Ghose from NYU Stern School of Business, with Michael Jeon of Solasta Ventures serving as moderator.
In this rapidly evolving digital era, the world’s attention is focused on China’s advancements in AI and cutting-edge technologies. This session shed light on the latest technological trends, including China’s digital transformation and generative AI. Distinguished MBA professors from China and the United States engaged in an in-depth dialogue on each country’s innovation strategies and future outlook. By exploring the development of AI technologies, policy shifts, industry transformations, and their implications for global business, the experts offered fresh insights from different perspectives.
The discussion also examined the intensifying global competition in artificial intelligence. The United States has pursued a proprietary, closed-source model dominated by hyperscalers such as Google, Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft. This approach reflects the nation’s strong culture of intellectual property protection, venture capital’s push for monetization, and fierce first-mover competition. With world-class universities, research institutions, and a leading semiconductor industry, the U.S. is developing slower but highly controlled and monetizable AI models.
In contrast, China is rapidly advancing an open-source ecosystem of large language models, prioritizing speed and widespread adoption.
“Leading examples include DeepSeek, Qwen, Baichuan, Kimi, and GLM-4. Supported by vast domestic datasets and strong government policies, China aims to reduce dependence on U.S. technologies while scaling AI deployment nationwide. Its strategy emphasizes diffusion and accessibility over exclusivity,” Prof. Zhang mentioned.
Speakers also highlighted the global ripple effects of these diverging strategies. In the Middle East, countries such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE are investing billions of dollars to build large-scale data centers and AI infrastructure, positioning themselves as regional AI hubs. Their choice between U.S.-style, China-style, or hybrid models could shape the balance of AI power in the region. Similarly, emerging markets in Europe and India face critical decisions—whether to align with a single global standard or pursue independent paths in a multipolar AI landscape.
CKGSB continues to closely observe how the distinct innovation models of the U.S. and China will reshape global markets and technology standards. As a bridge connecting Asia with the world, the school remains committed to fostering dialogue with global thought leaders and industry pioneers, advancing sustainable innovation and meaningful knowledge exchange.
