China's AI future: what's left after the US ban

The US has restricted China's access to advanced chips and AI models. China is responding by building its own — from chips to foundation models. The race isn't over, it's just split down the middle now.

OpenAI's GPT-6 Astra is one of the latest American models, trained on the most powerful hardware the US can legally ship. China's counter is a different stack: domestic chips, open-weight models, and a base of Chinese-language users the US can't reach. Both sides are racing toward the same ceiling.

Apple's latest AR glasses — the Imaginary — are being tested with live MLB broadcasts, overlaying stats and angles on what you're watching. It's the kind of thing that feels like a gimmick until it doesn't.

Why this matters for us: the tech we depend on is being carved up by foreign policy — and the models, chips, and apps that reach us next will be shaped by decisions we didn't vote on.