Artificial intelligence is a vital source of economic strength, national security, and geopolitical influence. The United States needs to determine how to develop more capable AI systems, deploy them responsibly, manage their risks without stifling innovation, and translate AI development into lasting military advantages for itself and its allies.
Join Hudson Institute for a conference with leaders from industry, government, academia, and defense to discuss the latest developments in the US-China AI competition. Panelists will examine whether open-weight models can strengthen a trusted US-led ecosystem; what policy framework best supports safety, competitiveness, and statecraft; and how AI can reinforce deterrence while reducing the risks of miscalculation and escalation.
Panel I. Open-Weight Models and US-China Competition
Open-weight models are testing whether openness can spur innovation and strengthen democratic influence without introducing unacceptable security risks. This discussion will examine their role in US-China AI competition, the incentives driving their adoption, and the safeguards needed to manage their proliferation responsibly.
Panel II. Governing AI Competitiveness, Safety, and Statecraft
The US needs an AI policy that manages risks without undercutting the innovation that sustains American leadership. This session will focus on policy tools that support safety, economic competitiveness, and national security.
Panel III. Military Uses of AI for Deterrence, Autonomy, and Escalation
This panel will assess how the US and its allies can translate AI advances into credible deterrence while preserving human judgment, resilient decision systems, and escalation control.
Join Hudson Institute for a discussion of how the US can build a more resilient and flexible energetics base—one that can meet sustained demand while accelerating the development and fielding of new capabilities.
Join House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (AL-03) for a fireside discussion with Senior Fellow Nadia Schadlow on Congress’s role in revitalizing America’s defense industrial base.
Join Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Ken Moriyasu for a panel with Chaim Martin, Israel’s minister of economic affairs to the United States; Aslı Aydıntaşbaş of the Brookings Institution; Soner Cagaptay of the Washington Institute; and Director of the Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East Michael Doran as they examine the logic behind each framework and what their rivalry means for US policy.
