Jeffrey Ding, a leading US scholar on China’s AI from George Washington University and author of "Technology and the Rise of Great Powers," discusses the pivotal role of general-purpose technologies in shaping global power dynamics. He emphasizes that while innovation is crucial, the true test lies in diffusion capacity. Historical examples from the UK and Soviet Union illustrate the challenges of adopting new technologies. Ding also explores how decentralized systems contributed to America's Cold War success and warns against complacency in US-China tech competition.
01:11:30
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
menu_book Books
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
insights INSIGHT
Economic Power Fungibility
Economic power is the most fungible aspect of national power.
It can be converted into military strength or soft power influence.
insights INSIGHT
Long-Term Growth Drivers
Long-term economic growth depends on productivity growth, not short-term policy tweaks.
Sustained productivity growth is key for nations to escape the middle-income trap.
insights INSIGHT
Great Power Characteristics
Great powers possess both large and efficient economies, enabling sustained growth.
Technological advancements cause shifts in economic power and the rise and fall of nations.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
This book by David Halberstam examines the decisions that led to the United States' involvement in the Vietnam War, particularly highlighting the roles of academics and intellectuals in President John F. Kennedy's administration. It delves into the lives and policies of key figures such as Robert McNamara, McGeorge Bundy, and Dean Rusk, and critiques the 'whiz kids' who implemented policies that often defied common sense. The book covers the period from 1960 to 1965 and beyond, providing a detailed account of the strategic blunders and moral crises that characterized the U.S. involvement in Vietnam[5][4][2].
Jeffrey Ding is a professor at George Washington University, leading US scholar on China’s AI, and the creator of the ChinAI Substack. In honor of the publication of his new book, Technology and the Rise of Great Powers, enjoy this interview with Jeff from the ChinaTalk archives.
Jeff Ding argues in a 2023 paper that great powers must harness general-purpose technologies if they want to achieve global dominance. That is, diffusion capacity (not just innovation capacity) is critical to economic growth — and China actually fares much worse in diffusion capacity than mainstream narratives imply.
Why long-term productivity growth is driven by the diffusion of general-purpose technology, and what makes this so crucial for great power competition;
Historical lessons from the UK, Soviet Union, US, and Germany illustrating the cultural and policy roadblocks to tech diffusion;
The importance of decentralized systems, and how this helped America win the Cold War
Why China’s diffusion capacity lags behind its innovation capacity, and how America should avoid getting locked into any one technological trajectory.
Co-hosting is Teddy Collins, formerly of DeepMind and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
ChinaTalk 
