Updated Jan. 21 with more details about the hearing health capability and how to set up the new feature when it comes. Apples AirPods Pro 2 gained updated software last fall and now the U.K. will benefit from the cool hearing aid features in a matter of weeks. More details have now emerged about the feature and a neat extra that helps it work, though its also apparent that not every new hearing feature is coming to AirPods Pro 2 everywhere.Apple AirPods Pro 2. 2022 Bloomberg Finance LPAs detailed below, a feature called Hearing Protection is not coming to U.K. users yet, and to set up the hearing aid capability, Users will likely need to run the hearing aid test again, which will open the Hearing Assistance menu. Apple will suggest using the AirPods Pro as a hearing aid only if you have mild-to-moderate hearing loss when listening to spoken-word frequencies, as Macworld points out.Why the hearing health features are restricted to the AirPods Pro 2 and not the new AirPods Pro which come in versions with or without Active Noise Cancelling has been confirmed by Matt Bolton at Tech Radar.Apple says that this is because those models lack an in-ear seal to improve noise isolation, which is necessary for its technology to be effective. The mode will not come to previous models of AirPods either though I would expect it to be part of the feature list of the AirPods Pro 3, which is rumored to arrive later in 2025, Bolton explains.MORE FOR YOUAirPods Pro 2 already unveiled the Hearing Test feature, so users can take a validated home hearing test to see if they would benefit from hearing aid assistance.But while these features are already live in the U.S., for instance, some countries, including the U.K., didnt have regulations in place to permit the earbuds to go on to be used as hearing aids.The British Health Secretary, Wes Streeting said, Britain can be a powerhouse for medical technology, but only if we rip out pointless regulation that suffocates innovation, according to a report in the Daily Telegraph.The report also quoted a statement from Apple. With the new policy guidance from the U.K. Department of Health and Social Care, we look forward to bringing the hearing aid feature on AirPods Pro 2 in the coming weeks to help improve the daily lives of so many U.K. users, Apple said.In other words, Apple will release an updated version of software for the U.K., likely in iOS 18 but possibly with new firmware for the AirPods Pro in cahoots.Then, AirPods Pro 2 can be used as a hearing aid to help those with mild to moderate hearing loss.Oh, and about that neat extra: if you hear a chime from the AirPods Pro 2 case while its charging, it turns out that its a feature designed to ensure the microphones and speakers are working properly, for example to help provide high-quality hearing test results, Apple says in a support guide.Of course, the battery life cant match regular hearing aids and so will need to be taken out to be recharged periodically. And it could look like youre listening to music or making a call when youre wearing them.But for some people it could overcome the social stigma of having a visible hearing aid while allowing them to hear better.As for timing, Apples comment of the coming weeks suggests January or February to me. For some, this could be a real boon.And then theres Hearing Protection, which Apple describes in a support document as a way to use your AirPods to help protect your hearing in loud environments. If youre in a loud environment like a live sporting event or fitness class, you can use your AirPods to help reduce your exposure to loud sounds around you.This feature, which relies partly on a snug fit in the ear for the AirPods Pro 2, is turned on by default, and works across Transparency, Adaptive and Noise Cancellation modes. Apple also says that its effective when your AirPods are clean. Which I should hope they would be.For now, this feature is very restricted to the U.S. and its minor outlying islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, Canada, Puerto Rico and Guam.

TikToks welcome message greeted users as they returned to the platformGetty ImagesCreators are reeling from the whiplash of events, many questioning if they were authentic or charade.On Saturday evening, around 7:40 p.m. PST / 10:40 p.m. EST, the app abruptly locked users out and displayed an on-screen message that read, "Sorry, TikTok isn't available right now." The message included details about the app working with President Donald Trump on a solution.The message: "We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned."While most users anticipated a ban due to mounting regulatory pressures, the abrupt (and earlier than expected) shutdown seemed suspicious.Alix Earle, a popular social media personality and one of TikTok's fastest-growing creators, took to Instagram to share a screen recording of her last moments on the app before it shut down. She also shared a post to her page with the caption, "So, I guess we're hanging out here now?" capturing the sense of disarray many creators were feeling.MORE FOR YOUTikToks Return: A Changed Platform?By Sunday, many TikTok users woke up to find the app restored, but something was different. Creators noticed immediate changesnotably in the For You page, which seemed less tailored to their interests.Bethenny Frankel, TV personality and influencer, took to TikTok Monday evening to express her skepticism about changes to the algorithm. She noted, "Wait, I'm not getting any news. No Dior bags. No fires. No news. That's what everybody's freaking out about."Users shared similar experiences in the comments, noting they had to manually search for content and watch multiple videos before their familiar recommendations returned.Spencer Pratt, a reality TV star and social media personality, experienced a surge in popularity after posting about the aftermath of the Palisades fire, which destroyed his Los Angeles home. Pratt gained over a million followers in just one week, symbolizing resilience on the platform.However, after the TikTok restart, his content was nowhere to be found; users flooded his comments 14 hours after the app's return with comments like, "I had to come find you. You're not on my FYP anymore."A Coincidence Or A Strategy? The Timing of Meta's AnnouncementAn LA-based creator, Mia Parziale, expressed a similar unease on TikTok. While relieved the app was back, she explained: "Something doesn't feel right," mentioning that she plans to focus more on other platforms.Parziale also highlighted ongoing issues, such as blocked TikTok Lives, CapCut being offline, and specific videos and comments failing to appear.Further fueling concerns, Meta announced the upcoming "Edits" launch, a new video creation and editing app designed to rival TikTok's CapCut.CapCut, a popular video editing app among creators, is in the crosshairs, fueling rumors and speculation within the creator community on Meta's intentions.The announcement's timingon the same day TikTok's ban went into effectraised further suspicions about the platform's stability and future, particularly as creators look for trustworthy alternatives.Final ThoughtsThe chaos of the weekend's social media events left creators grappling with uncertainty. While TikTok's return was a welcomed relief, the alleged algorithm shift, ongoing disruptions, and rising competition from Meta's new video editing app leave creators uneasy about the platform's future.As the platform faces increasing regulatory challenges, creators wonder: Is TikTok's reign as the go-to social media app in jeopardy, or is this just a temporary setback?

In context: If you've stepped foot in your local Walgreens at any point over the past several years, there's a good chance you witnessed a technological innovation that's now at the center of a messy legal dispute. The pharmacy chain started testing digitized refrigerator screens from a startup named Cooler Screens at select stores in early 2019. The idea is simple enough: replace the clear glass doors in the freezer section with digital displays, sensors, and cameras that can be used by marketers to serve targeted ads to shoppers based on factors like age or gender.The pilot was successful enough that the two sides entered into a multi-year contract, but the story doesn't end there.Cooler Screens ended up suing Walgreens for $200 million in June 2023, prompting the pharmacy chain to countersue for monetary damages. According to Bloomberg, Cooler Screens had already installed 10,000 smart doors at Walgreens locations across the country and had plans for 35,000 more when the pharmacy chain tried to back out over claims of faulty hardware and software. The publication notes that the screens often flickered, crashed, or showed the wrong products. Some units even reportedly caught on fire.At one point, Cooler Screens went so far as to cut the data feed to screens at 100 stores in the Chicago area. As a result, shoppers at those locations saw blank screens. Walgreens argued that it may have impacted their sales for that quarter.A spokesperson for Walgreens told Fortune they were disappointed in the company's attempt to interfere with their customers' experience in certain stores. Cooler Screens CEO Arsen Avakian, however, claimed they cut the feed to get Walgreens to respond to overdue invoices for the tech. // Related Stories"I got to tell them once, twice, three times, five times, 'Guys, you got to pay the f ing bill!'" Avakian told Bloomberg.For now, the legal dispute remains ongoing. Cooler Screens, meanwhile, has undergone several rounds of layoffs, and even rebranded as CoolerX. The company is now focusing on software than can be installed and run on existing platforms rather than also having to supply its own display hardware.

Amid a flurry of repeals and rollbacks to his predecessors executive orders during his first day back in office, Donald Trump has announced that hes reversed an executive order from former-President Biden once deemed critical by Microsoft. The order sought to protect workers, consumers and national security interests from potential harms caused by emerging AI technologies.The previous administration released the order in October 2023, dubbed the Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence. The order concedes that generative AI systems offer both promise and peril to America and could potentially, exacerbate societal harms such as fraud, discrimination, [and] bias. Links to the newly-cancelled executive orders now return 404 error pages on the White House website.Recommended VideosIn his order, Biden directed the Commerce Departments National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to provide guidance to companies to help identify and correct instances of bias in their large language models. The order also sought to prioritize American workers by ensuring jobs would not be lost due to AI, promoted personal information protections, and advocated for open and equitable AI marketplaces. This move comes amidst Trumps busy first day back in power, wherein he rescinded some 75 executive orders from the previous president. In Tuesdays announcement, the Trump administration also argued that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives have corrupted U.S. institutions by replacing hard work, merit, and equality with a divisive and dangerous preferential hierarchy.Trumps actions are not unexpected, however, as he had campaigned heavily on the promise to roll back consumer AI protections throughout the 2024 election cycle. He stated that he would support AI development rooted in free speech and human flourishing but, as with his similar claims about replacing the Affordable Care Act during his previous term, Trump has not provided any details on what that alternative would actually look like. Whether Bidens AI protections are gone for good remains to be seen as Trump himself has previously claimed that generative AI technologies are a superpower that offer alarming potential.Editors Recommendations

When it comes to top laptop brands, a manufacturer we can always stand behind is Asus. For years, these talented folks have been dropping some of the fastest and most powerful Windows laptops money can buy, and today, the world of Asus just got even better!While looking for laptop deals, we found this awesome Asus sale at B&H Photo & Video for the Asus Vivobook 16X. For a limited time, youll be able to grab the Intel Core i9 / RTX 4060 / 32GB (RAM) / 1TB (storage) configuration of this laptop for only $930.The Asus Vivobook is the perfect portable PC for those looking to make the most out of a full laptop battery. Delivering up to 16 hours of performance in our tests, the Vivobook blew us away with how long it lasted. We tested the OLED version, but this one on sale today is a standard LED display. It has a 1920 x 1200 resolution and 12Hz refresh rate.RelatedThanks to the RTX 4060 GPU, movies, shows, and video games are rendered bright and colorful quickly, making the Vivobook 16X a solid laptop choice for gamers (check out our list of the best gaming laptop deals!) and a solid photo- and video-editing workstation. The Vivobook also has an HDMI 2.1 port, Thunderbolt 4 USB-C, two USB-A, and an SD card reader.Were not sure how long this markdown is going to stick around, so today might be the best (and final) day to score this discount. Take $370 off this configuration of the Asus Vivobook 16X when you purchase through B&H Photo & Video today. We also suggest taking a look at our lists of the best Asus laptop deals for January for additional savings on other top items.Editors Recommendations

Ru ready for k2? Satellite firm bucks miniaturization trend, aims to build big for big rockets "We decided to go after one of the big problems." Eric Berger Jan 21, 2025 1:04 pm | 5 A view inside the K2 factory. Credit: K2 A view inside the K2 factory. Credit: K2 Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreA potentially disruptive satellite company launched its first spacecraft last week as part of a Transporter mission flown on SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket.The demonstration mission from a California-based firm named K2 aims to "burn down" the risk of the technology that will fly on the company's first full-sized satellite. So far, so good, but it's early days for the demo flight.Founded a little less than three years ago, K2 seeks to disrupt the production of large satellites by focusing on vertical integration and taking advantage of large launch vehicles, such as SpaceX's Starship and Blue Origin's New Glenn, which can throw a lot of payload into space."We think we're about to go from an era of mass constraints to an era of mass abundance," said Karan Kunjur, co-founder and chief executive of K2, in an interview with Ars.They go small, we go bigBy contrast, over the last decade, much of the satellite industry has gone smaller. Similar to the trend in consumer electronics, in which more computing power and other capability can be packed into smaller devices, satellites have also gotten smaller and cheaper."When we looked at the market, we saw a massive amount of small satellites," Kunjur said. "The small satellite boom figured out how to go cheaper and faster, but it hasn't figured out how to do that without sacrificing capability."Smaller satellites typically sacrifice a lot of power, going from as much as 20 kilowatts down to 1 or 2 kW, Kunjur said. They also often have a smaller aperture (such as a lens in a telescope), reducing the quality of observations. And they have to make difficult trades between payload capacity and on-board propellant.Taking on an industry titanThere has been less innovation in larger satellites.One of the industry-leading large satellite busesa satellite bus is the main structural component of a satellite, upon which payloads are hostedis Lockheed Martin's LM2100 spacecraft. It is a proven vehicle with a payload capacity of more than 1 ton and 20 kW of peak power. It is used for the military's Global Positioning Satellites and other government applications. The LM2100 is a robust satellite capable of operating in geostationary orbit for 15 years or longer.Although the price of this satellite bus is proprietary, various estimates place the cost at between $100 million and $150 million. One reason for the expense is that Lockheed Martin buys most of the satellite's elements, such as its reaction wheels, from suppliers."Lockheed is amazing at doing those missions with really complex requirements," Kunjur said. "But they just have not changed the way they build these larger, more complex spacecraft in the last 15 or 20 years."Vertical integration is the way?K2 aims to disrupt this ecosystem. For example, the reaction wheels that Honeywell Aerospace sells to Lockheed cost approximately $500,000 to $1 million apiece. K2 is now on its fourth iteration of an internally built reaction wheel and has driven the cost down to $35,000. Kunjur said about 80 percent of K2's satellite production is vertically integrated.The company is now building its first "Mega Class" satellite bus, intended to have similar capabilities to Lockheed's LM2100: 20 kW of power, 1,000 kg of payload capacity, and propulsion to move between orbits. But it's also stackable: Ten will fit within a Falcon 9 payload fairing and about 50 within Starship's fairing. The biggest difference is cost. K2 aims to sell its satellite bus for $15 million.The US government is definitely interested in this capability. About a month ago, K2 announced that it had signed a contract with the US Space Force to launch its first Mega Class satellite in early 2026. The $60 million contract for the "Gravitas" mission will demonstrate the ability of K2's satellite bus to host several experiments and successfully maneuver from low-Earth orbit to middle-Earth orbit (several thousand km above the surface of Earth).Although the Mega Class satellite is attractive to government and commercial customersits lower cost could allow for larger constellations in middle- and geostationary orbitsKunjur said he and his brother Neel Kunjur founded K2 to enable more frequent science missions to other planets in the Solar System."We looked at the decadal studies and saw all the mission concept studies that were done," Kunjur said. "There were maybe 50 studies over a 10-year period. And we realized that if NASA funding remains level, we'll be able to do one or maybe two of these. So we decided to go after one of the big problems."So, if we're moving into an era of launch abundance, K2 might just solve the problem of affordable science satellites to launch on all these rocketsif it all works, of course.Eric BergerSenior Space EditorEric BergerSenior Space Editor Eric Berger is the senior space editor at Ars Technica, covering everything from astronomy to private space to NASA policy, and author of two books: Liftoff, about the rise of SpaceX; and Reentry, on the development of the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon. A certified meteorologist, Eric lives in Houston. 5 Comments

a coupla physicists sitting around talking How to get a perfect salt ring deposit in your pasta pot Particle diameter, height from which they fall through water, and particle volume are key factors. Jennifer Ouellette Jan 21, 2025 12:41 pm | 18 Releasing a handful of salt into a pasta pan can result in a circular ring deposit Credit: Mathieu Souzy Releasing a handful of salt into a pasta pan can result in a circular ring deposit Credit: Mathieu Souzy Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn morePhysicist Mathieu Souzy of the University Twente was enjoying an evening of pasta and board games with several colleagues when the conversation turned to how adding salt to a pasta pot to make it boil faster can leave a white ring on the bottom of the pot. Ever the curious scientists, they wondered about the various factors that would contribute to creating the perfect circular pattern for a salt ring.By the end of our meal, wed sketched an experimental protocol and written a succession of experiments we wanted to try on my youngest sons small whiteboard, said Souzy. It all comes down to three factors: the diameter of the particles (grains of salt, in this case), the settling height, and the number of particles released simultaneously, according to a new paper published in the journal Physics of Fluids.We've previously reported on physicists' longstanding interest in similar phenomena like the "coffee ring effect," when a single liquid evaporates and the solids that had been dissolved in the liquid (like coffee grounds) form a ring. It happens because the evaporation occurs faster at the edge than at the center. Any remaining liquid flows outward to the edge to fill in the gaps, dragging those solids with it. Mixing in solvents (water or alcohol) reduces the effect as long as the drops are very small. Large drops produce more uniform stains.There are also the so-called "whiskey webs" formed by American whiskeys (but not their Scottish counterparts): an unusual web-like pattern as droplets dry up. Those webs are different for different brands, making them a kind of "fingerprint." Similarly, when a drop of watercolor paint dries, the pigment particles of color break outward, toward the rim of the drop.A pinch of saltSouzy et al. specifically wanted to explore what mechanisms produce the salt rings and whether other deposit shapes are possible, as well as identify the key parameters involved. For their experiments, they used a large transparent water tank filled with waterlarge enough that the physicists could discount any effects a nearby wall might have on the results. Deposit morphologies for a settling particle. When increasing either the injection volume or the settling height, the deposit radius increases. Credit: M. Souzy et al., 2025 They used spherical borosilicate glass beads of varying diameters to represent the grains of salt and loaded different fixed volumes of beads into cylindrical tubes. Then they slid open the tube's bottom to release the beads, capturing how they fell and settled with a Nikon D300 camera placed at the top of the tank. The tank was illuminated from below by a uniform LED light screen and diffuser to get an even background.The physicists found that gravity will pull a single particle to the bottom of the tank, creating a small wake drag that affects the flow of water around it. That perturbation becomes much more complicated when many large particles are released at once, each with its own wake that affects its neighbors. So, the falling particles start to shift horizontally, distributing the falling particles in an expanding circular pattern.Particles released from a smaller height fall faster and form a pattern with a clean central region. Those released from a greater height take longer to fall to the bottom, and the cloud of particles expands radially until the particles are far enough apart not to be influenced by the wakes of neighboring particles such that they no longer form a cloud. In that case, you end up with a homogeneous salt ring deposit.These are the main physical ingredients, and despite its apparent simplicity, this phenomenon encompasses a wide range of physical concepts such as sedimentation, non-creeping flow, long-range interactions between multiple bodies, and wake entrainment, said Souzy. Things get even more interesting once you realize larger particles are more radially shifted than small ones, which means you can sort particles by size just by dropping them into a water tank. It was a great overall experience, because we soon realized our simple observation of daily life conceals a rich variety of physical mechanisms.Those phenomena are just as relevant outside the kitchen, according to the authors, most notably in such geophysical and industrial contexts as "the discharge of dredged materials and industrial waste into rivers lakes and oceans," they wrote. "In scenarios involving contaminated waste, comprehending the behavior of both the solid waste and the interacting fluid is crucial."Physics of Fluids, 2025. DOI: 10.1063/5.0239386 (About DOIs).Jennifer OuelletteSenior WriterJennifer OuelletteSenior Writer Jennifer is a senior writer at Ars Technica with a particular focus on where science meets culture, covering everything from physics and related interdisciplinary topics to her favorite films and TV series. Jennifer lives in Baltimore with her spouse, physicist Sean M. Carroll, and their two cats, Ariel and Caliban. 18 Comments

Trying to sleep your way through jet lag might not actually workIakovos Hatzistavrou/AFP Via Getty ImagesIn the first flush of our relationship, my husband began taking a series of photos of me during our travels. In every one, I am asleep: sat on a chair at the Muse dOrsay in Paris. Head on my chest in the back seat of a car in Kiev, Ukraine. On a train in France, mouth open, drooling. He is lucky I still married him.This article is part of special series investigating key questions about sleep. Read more here.Jet lag certainly isnt pretty. Other than leaving you feeling exhausted or wide awake at the wrong time of day, a long flight across time zones can also cause gastrointestinal distress, off-kilter body temperature, headaches, irritability and cognitive impairment, all of which are much more serious for people who fly all the time, such as airline pilots. What can we do?Many of us approach jet lag by prioritising sleep whenever we can, in order to counter the exhaustion. Even the National Health Service website for England recommends that you change your sleep schedule to the new time zone as quickly as possible, and many of us try to just knock ourselves out on overnight flights (often with the help of over-the-counter medicines or in-flight refreshments).While this approach isnt always wrong, it can sometimes do more harm than good. Instead, we need to think about jet lag in a more nuanced way, says Steven Lockley, a neuroscientist who was at Harvard University Medical School. Jet lag really is

Starship flight test 7 goes through rapid unscheduled disassemblyJames Temple PhotographyThese eerie images of a fiery sky show the moment when SpaceXs Starship rocket dramatically returned to Earth in pieces last week. They were captured by photographer James Temple, who was working as a chef on a superyacht in the Turks and Caicos Islands. When he realised what was happening, he grabbed his camera extender for a closer shot.Starships seventh flight test took off from SpaceXs site at Boca Chica, Texas, on 16 January, but SpaceX lost contact with the rocket after approximately eight and

The United States and China are entangled in what many have dubbed an AI arms race. In the early days of this standoff, US policymakers drove an agenda centered on winning the race, mostly from an economic perspective. In recent months, leading AI labs such asOpenAIandAnthropicgot involved in pushing the narrative of beating China in what appeared to be an attempt to align themselves with the incoming Trump administration. The belief that the UScanwin in such a race was based mostly on the early advantage it had over China in advanced GPU compute resources and the effectiveness of AIsscaling laws. But now it appears that access to large quantities of advanced compute resources is no longer the defining or sustainable advantage many had thought it would be. In fact, the capability gap between leading US and Chinese models has essentially disappeared, and in one important way the Chinese models may now have an advantage: They are able to achievenear equivalent resultswhile using only a small fraction of the compute resources available to the leading Western labs. The AI competition is increasingly being framed within narrow national security terms, as a zero-sum game, and influenced by assumptions that a future war between the US and China, centered on Taiwan, is inevitable. The US has employedchokepoint tacticsto limit Chinas access to key technologies like advanced semiconductors, and China has responded by accelerating its efforts toward self-sufficiency and indigenous innovation, which is causing US efforts to backfire. Recently even outgoing US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, a staunch advocate for strict export controls, finally admitted that using such controls tohold back Chinas progress on AI and advanced semiconductors is a fools errand.Ironically, the unprecedented export control packages targeting Chinas semiconductor and AI sectors have unfolded alongside tentativebilateral and multilateral engagementsto establish AI safety standards and governance frameworkshighlighting a paradoxical desire of both sides to compete and cooperate. When we consider this dynamic more deeply, it becomes clear that the real existential threat ahead is not from China, but from the weaponization of advanced AI by bad actors and rogue groups who seek to create broad harms, gain wealth, or destabilize society. As with nuclear arms, China, as a nation-state, must be careful about using AI-powered capabilities against US interests, but bad actors, including extremist organizations, would be much more likely to abuse AI capabilities with little hesitation. Given the asymmetric nature of AI technology, which is much like cyberweapons, it is very difficult to fully prevent and defend against a determined foe who has mastered its use and intends to deploy it for nefarious ends. Given the ramifications, it is incumbent on the US and China as global leaders in developing AI technology to jointly identify and mitigate such threats, collaborate on solutions, and cooperate on developing a global framework for regulating the most advanced modelsinstead of erecting new fences, small or large, around AI technologies and pursing policies that deflect focus from the real threat. It is now clearer than ever that despite the high stakes and escalating rhetoric, there will not and cannot be any long-term winners if the intense competition continues on its current path. Instead, the consequences could be severeundermining global stability, stalling scientific progress, and leading both nations toward a dangerous technological brinkmanship. This is particularly salient given the importance of Taiwan and the global foundry leader TSMC in the AI stack, and the increasing tensions around the high-tech island. Heading blindly down this path will bring the risk of isolation and polarization, threatening not only international peace but also the vast potential benefits AI promises for humanity as a whole. Historical narratives, geopolitical forces, and economic competition have all contributed to the current state of the US-China AI rivalry. Arecent reportfrom the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, for example, frames the entire issue in binary terms, focused on dominance or subservience. This winner takes all logic overlooks the potential for global collaboration and could even provoke a self-fulfilling prophecy by escalating conflict. Under the new Trump administration this dynamic will likely become more accentuated, with increasing discussion of aManhattan Project for AIand redirection of US military resources fromUkraine toward China. Fortunately, a glimmer of hope for a responsible approach to AI collaboration is appearing now as Donald Trump recentlyposted on January 17 that hed restarted direct dialoguewith Chairman Xi Jinping regarding various areas of collaboration, and given past cooperation should continue to be partners and friends. The outcome of the TikTok drama, putting Trump at odds with sharp China critics in his own administration and Congress, will be a preview of how his efforts to put US China relations on a less confrontational trajectory. The promise of AI for good Western mass media usually focuses on attention-grabbing issues described in terms like the existential risks of evil AI. Unfortunately, the AI safety experts who get the most coverage often recite the same narratives, scaring the public. In reality, no credible research shows that more capable AI will become increasingly evil. We need to challenge the current false dichotomy of pure accelerationism versus doomerism to allow for a model more likecollaborative acceleration. It is important to note the significant difference betweenthe way AI is perceived in Western developed countries and developing countries. In developed countries the public sentiment toward AI is 60% to 70% negative, while in the developing markets the positive ratings are 60% to 80%. People in the latter places have seen technology transform their lives for the better in the past decades and are hopeful AI will help solve the remaining issues they face by improving education, health care, and productivity, thereby elevating their quality of life and giving them greater world standing. What Western populations often fail to realize is that those same benefits could directly improve their lives as well, given the high levels of inequity even in developed markets. Consider what progress would be possible if we reallocated the trillions that go into defense budgets each year to infrastructure, education, and health-care projects. Once we get to the next phase, AI will help us accelerate scientific discovery, develop new drugs, extend our health span, reduce our work obligations, and ensure access to high-quality education for all. This may sound idealistic, but given current trends, most of this can become a reality within a generation, and maybe sooner. To get there well need more advanced AI systems, which will be a much more challenging goal if we divide up compute/data resources and research talent pools. Almost half of all top AI researchers globally (47%) wereborn or educatedin China, according toindustry studies.Its hard to imagine how we could have gotten where we are without the efforts of Chinese researchers. Active collaboration with China on joint AI research could be pivotal to supercharging progress with a major infusion of quality training data and researchers. The escalating AI competition between the US and China poses significant threats to both nations and to the entire world. The risks inherent in this rivalry are not hypotheticalthey could lead to outcomes that threaten global peace, economic stability, and technological progress. Framing the development of artificial intelligence as a zero-sum race undermines opportunities for collective advancement and security. Rather than succumb to the rhetoric of confrontation, it is imperative that the US and China, along with their allies, shift toward collaboration and shared governance. Our recommendations for policymakers: Reduce national security dominance over AI policy.Both the US and China must recalibrate their approach to AI development, moving away from viewing AI primarily as a military asset. This means reducing the emphasis on national security concerns that currently dominate every aspect of AI policy. Instead, policymakers should focus on civilian applications of AI that can directly benefit their populations and address global challenges, such as health care, education, and climate change. The US also needs to investigate how to implement a possible universal basic income program as job displacement from AI adoption becomes a bigger issue domestically. 2.Promote bilateral and multilateral AI governance.Establishing a robust dialogue between the US, China, and other international stakeholders is crucial for the development of common AI governance standards. This includes agreeing on ethical norms, safety measures, and transparency guidelines for advanced AI technologies. A cooperative framework would help ensure that AI development is conducted responsibly and inclusively, minimizing risks while maximizing benefits for all. 3.Expand investment in detection and mitigation of AI misuse.The risk of AI misuse by bad actors, whether through misinformation campaigns, telecom, power, or financial system attacks, or cybersecurity attacks with the potential to destabilize society, is the biggest existential threat to the world today. Dramatically increasing funding for and international cooperation in detecting and mitigating these risks is vital. The US and China must agree on shared standards for the responsible use of AI and collaborate on tools that can monitor and counteract misuse globally. 4.Create incentives for collaborative AI research.Governments should provide incentives for academic and industry collaborations across borders. By creating joint funding programs and research initiatives, the US and China can foster an environment where the best minds from both nations contribute to breakthroughs in AI that serve humanity as a whole. This collaboration would help pool talent, data, and compute resources, overcoming barriers that neither country could tackle alone. A global effort akin to theCERN for AIwill bring much more value to the world, and a peaceful end, than aManhattan Project for AI,which is being promoted by many in Washington today. 5.Establish trust-building measures.Both countries need to prevent misinterpretations of AI-related actions as aggressive or threatening. They could do this via data-sharing agreements, joint projects in nonmilitary AI, and exchanges between AI researchers. Reducing import restrictions for civilian AI use cases, for example, could help the nations rebuild some trust and make it possible for them to discuss deeper cooperation on joint research. These measures would help build transparency, reduce the risk of miscommunication, and pave the way for a less adversarial relationship. 6.Support the development of a global AI safety coalition.A coalition that includes major AI developers from multiple countries could serve as a neutral platform for addressing ethical and safety concerns. This coalition would bring together leading AI researchers, ethicists, and policymakers to ensure that AI progresses in a way that is safe, fair, and beneficial to all. This effort should not exclude China, as it remains an essential partner in developing and maintaining a safe AI ecosystem. 7.Shift the focus toward AI for global challenges.It is crucial that the worlds two AI superpowers use their capabilities to tackle global issues, such as climate change, disease, and poverty. By demonstrating the positive societal impacts of AI through tangible projects and presenting it not as a threat but as a powerful tool for good, the US and China can reshape public perception of AI. Our choice is stark but simple: We can proceed down a path of confrontation that will almost certainly lead to mutual harm, or we can pivot toward collaboration, which offers the potential for a prosperous and stable future for all. Artificial intelligence holds the promise to solve some of the greatest challenges facing humanity, but realizing this potential depends on whether we choose to race against each other or work together. The opportunity to harness AI for the common good is a chance the world cannot afford to miss. Alvin Wang Graylin Alvin Wang Graylin is a technology executive, author, investor, and pioneer with over 30 years of experience shaping innovation in AI, XR (extended reality), cybersecurity, and semiconductors. Currently serving as global vice president at HTC, Graylin was the companys China president from 2016 to 2023. He is the author ofOur Next Reality. Paul Triolo Paul Triolo is apartner for China and technology policy leadat DGA-Albright Stonebridge Group. He advises clients in technology, financial services, and other sectors as they navigate complex political and regulatory matters in the US, China, the European Union, India, and around the world.