{
  "id": 16143144,
  "title": "Eric Schmidt sees China behind the US in the AI race by at least 6 months",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/23/eric-schmidt-sees-china-behind-the-us-in-the-ai-race-by-at-least-6",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-10-23T02:18:39.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Times of India",
    "slug": "times-of-india",
    "url": "https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/googles-ex-ceo-eric-schmidt-sees-china-behind-the-us-in-the-ai-race-by-at-least-6-months-but-is-still-impressed-by-chinese-/articleshow/135131842.cms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt has stated that China currently lags behind the US by approximately six months in the artificial intelligence race, but warns that this gap may not be enough to ensure American dominance. Speaking on the In Good Company podcast, Schmidt expressed concern that China's approach to low-cost or free AI products could enable the country to gain a significant advantage in emerging markets. He believes that if Chinese AI firms continue to offer powerful models at little to no cost, they could pressure leading AI companies in the US, potentially altering their business models.\n\nSchmidt argued that China's strategy of providing inexpensive or free AI services, coupled with the growing popularity of open-weight models, could make Chinese AI offerings attractive in developing economies where businesses and consumers may not be able to afford premium AI subscriptions. He also pointed to smuggled chips and AI distillation techniques as factors that have helped China reduce the AI gap despite US export restrictions on advanced semiconductor technology.\n\nDespite growing concerns about the massive investments in AI, Schmidt dismissed suggestions that the industry is experiencing a speculative bubble. He emphasized that the sector's financial performance demonstrates real customer demand rather than hype-driven growth. He highlighted Anthropic's rapid expansion and its revenue growth, which he said exceeds what Google experienced during his tenure as CEO. Schmidt stressed that AI is not a bubble, as the technology has real customer demand and provides useful services to paying customers.",
  "summary": "Eric Schmidt highlighted that China is approximately six months behind the US in artificial intelligence capabilities. He noted that Chinese companies offering low-cost or free AI products are gaining traction globally. Schmidt expressed concern that this strategy could facilitate significant market advantages for Chinese firms. Additionally, he discussed how smuggled technology has aided China's…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}