China has the potential to reduce the technological gap with the USA in the field of artificial intelligence, but it faces a lack of advanced equipment for chip manufacturing.

Researchers in the field of artificial intelligence in China claim that the country has the potential to reduce the technological gap with the United States, due to an increase in appetite for risk and innovation. AI startups, such as MiniMax and Zhipu AI, have had promising debuts on the Hong Kong stock exchange, reflecting confidence in the sector. Yao Shunyu from Tencent emphasizes that, although there are chances for a Chinese company to become a global leader in AI in the coming years, the lack of advanced equipment for chip manufacturing remains a major obstacle. Although China has developed a prototype lithography machine capable of producing next-generation chips, the equipment is not yet functional. Industry leaders acknowledge that the U.S. maintains a significant advantage in computing infrastructure, but limited resources in China have stimulated the creativity of researchers.