Billionaire investor Bill Ackman is sounding the alarm on what he sees as a rapidly escalating technological arms race with China, warning that the stakes could extend beyond economics into national security and democratic stability.
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In a social media post on Wednesday, the Pershing Square CEO pointed to China’s continued buildout of data center infrastructure as a critical signal in the global race toward artificial superintelligence.
China is not putting moratoriums on data centers. The race for super intelligence needs to be won by the USA or our country and democracy will be at risk. https://t.co/6KqrSJ5QHR
— Bill Ackman (@BillAckman) July 15, 2026
China’s Data‑Center Surge and the AI Arms Race
Unlike parts of the U.S. policy environment, where debates around energy usage and regulatory constraints have at times slowed large-scale data center expansion, Ackman noted that China appears to be moving forward without similar limitations.
That divergence, in his view, is not just about industrial policy—it is a strategic advantage in what he describes as the "race for super intelligence."
Ackman’s argument follows a clear causal chain. First, he highlights China’s aggressive investment in data centers, which underpin the massive computational power required to train next-generation AI systems.
These facilities are essential for scaling large language models and other advanced AI architectures, particularly as compute demands rise exponentially.
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Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (NYSE:BABA), Tencent, Baidu Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU) and ByteDance – all committing tens of billions to AI infrastructure build‑out by 2027 – are effectively the corporate engine behind Beijing’s push, helping power the "race for super intelligence" Ackman flags.
Second, he frames the expansion as direct participation in a high-stakes global competition. The implication is that AI leadership — especially at the level of artificial general intelligence or beyond — will be determined by access to compute, data and energy at scale.
Finally, Ackman connects the outcome of that race to broader geopolitical risk. If China were to achieve a decisive lead in superintelligence, he argues, it could place the United States at a structural disadvantage, with implications for both national security and democratic institutions.
"Our country and democracy will be at risk," he warned.
Why Ackman Says U.S. Democracy is at Risk
The comments come amid growing debate in Washington and Silicon Valley over how to balance AI innovation with safety, regulation and energy constraints. U.S. hyperscalers continue to invest heavily in AI infrastructure, but permitting delays, environmental concerns and grid limitations have emerged as potential bottlenecks.
Meanwhile, China has made AI development a national priority, integrating it into long-term economic and military planning. The country’s centralized approach may allow for faster coordination of resources, particularly in areas like energy allocation and infrastructure deployment.
Ackman’s remarks reflect a broader concern among investors and policymakers that AI is becoming a defining axis of geopolitical competition — akin to nuclear or space races in prior eras. His warning suggests that infrastructure decisions being made today could ultimately shape the global balance of power in the decades ahead.
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