U.S. Commission Proposes Manhattan Project-Style Strategy For AGI To Compete Against China

The United States–China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) issued its annual Report to Congress 2024 yesterday, suggesting a Manhattan Project-style strategy to accelerate advanced AI development in the country and compete against China in Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)—a technology that surpasses human intelligence.

The document shares recommendations to the U.S. Congress and begins with the suggestion to “establish and fund a Manhattan Project-like program,” the secret research used to build nuclear weapons before nazi Germany during World War II, resulting in the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings.

USCC suggests multiyear contracts in alliances with the private sector to fund AGI research—including leading AI clouds and data center companies—and for the U.S. secretary of defense to prioritize this project.

The commission also suggests eliminating the “de minimis” exemption in the Tariff Act of 1930—which permits goods valued at less than $800 to enter the country without paying fees—as it goes through less intensive inspection.

According to Reuters, USCC agents have noticed how fast China has been developing AI technologies and believe in fast reactions.

“We’ve seen throughout history that countries that are first to exploit periods of rapid technological change can often cause shifts in the global balance of power,” said Jacob Helberg, USCC commissioner, to Reuters. “It’s critical that we take them extremely seriously.”

The suggestion to build alliances with the private sector emerges as the main obstacles to developing this advanced technology are related to energy infrastructure.

Another commissioner explained why they are suggesting to end the “de minimis” exemption. “Just to give you a sense of the trajectory, it’s 4 million boxes a day, estimated to be 1.4 billion de minimis shipments over this past year, according to CBP,” said Commissioner Kimberly Glas. “It is impossible to police what is in those boxes.”

The USCC suggests preferring safety over capital and avoiding dangerous products like pill presses and fentanyl. The document provides more details on procedures, improvement opportunities, and other recommendations for the U.S. government.