US Security Expert Urges Military Strike Options to Block China's AGI Progress

A senior security expert has urged the United States government to prepare for extreme measures, including military strikes, to ensure China does not achieve Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) first. Jacob Stokes, deputy director of the Indo-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), argues that the stakes of the AI race necessitate a comprehensive readiness for escalation.

In a report titled "Superpowers and AGI," Stokes calls on the US to evaluate the feasibility of a wide array of interventions, ranging from diplomatic and espionage efforts to cyberattacks and "kinetic measures." Specifically, the report suggests that striking Chinese data centers should be considered a viable option to halt the adversary's progress. Stokes contends that policymakers must analyze the science of AGI and work backward to determine policy implications, drawing a direct parallel to how the US handled the emergence of nuclear weapons in the mid-20th century.

The Geopolitical AI Race

This proposal arrives as the US and China engage in an intensifying geopolitical struggle over frontier AI. According to data from Epoch AI, the United States currently maintains a lead of several months over China in the development of frontier AI models. However, this lead is viewed by some as precarious. The CNAS report warns that China could achieve a "surprise technological breakthrough" in AGI, potentially leveraging its advancements in robotics and embodied AI to leapfrog current US capabilities.

Strategic Implications

The suggestion of using military force against digital infrastructure marks a significant escalation in the discourse surrounding AI competition. By framing AGI as a strategic asset comparable to nuclear weaponry, the proposal suggests that the first-mover advantage is so critical that it could justify the risk of a shooting war between two nuclear-armed superpowers.

Critics argue that such a path is dangerous. William Hartung, an arms analyst at the Project on Government Oversight, has criticized the proposal, stating that striking Chinese data centers based on speculative future use would be "the height of recklessness."

Future Governance

As the debate over preemptive action intensifies, the two nations are attempting to establish guardrails. President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping are scheduled to meet in Washington to discuss AI governance, a meeting that will likely address the stability of the AI competition. Observers will be watching to see if the US formally integrates these "extreme measures" into its national security strategy or if diplomatic frameworks can mitigate the risk of kinetic conflict over algorithmic supremacy.