In the AI era, US-China competition hinges on who can adapt faster

Power has historically been measured by indicators such as territory, population, industrial production, military capability and economic scale. Those foundations remain indispensable. But each technological revolution has changed the nature of geopolitical competition. AI compresses strategic time. Technological breakthroughs spread over years rather than decades. Supply chains reorganise more rapidly. Capital reallocates faster. Military innovation cycles shorten. Governments have less time to recognise strategic failure, and even less time to correct it. The decisive advantage belongs not to those that possess the greatest resources, but to those that learn, innovate and adapt more effectively than their competitors. This is how…