# Why China's AI perception may be outpacing the US > Source: > Published: 2026-06-15 23:15:14+00:00 hough the US has long been the dominant tech superpower, the scales may be tipping in China's favor when it comes to AI — at least in terms of perception. A poll of around 18,000 people in 15 countries by research firm Public First found that [public perception of AI dominance](https://www.politico.com/news/2026/06/15/people-around-the-world-see-a-winner-on-ai-and-its-not-the-us-00960930) in 11 of the countries surveyed has begun to shift toward China over the US. According to the survey: - Respondents in Vietnam, India and Japan largely still believed that the US was leading the AI race over China. - Meanwhile, survey respondents in France, the United Kingdom and Canada all largely see China as the AI frontrunner. Respondents in Germany were the least confident in the US lead, with 23% seeing the country as ahead of China, compared to 46% holding the opposite sentiment. - Around 51% of American respondents perceived the US as the AI frontrunner, compared to 24% perceiving China as holding that position. But despite American respondents feeling confident about the country's AI position, opinions of the technology itself [continue to sour](https://www.thedeepview.com/articles/americans-souring-on-ai-new-data-shows). The research showed that the US population leads other countries polled in negative sentiment around AI, with the percentage of survey participants reporting that AI would have a positive outcome on society dropping from around 39% in 2024 to 31% in 2026. It's not the only signal that the public perception around AI is mixed in the US. A Gallup poll published in May found that an [average of 7 in 10 Americans surveyed](https://www.thedeepview.com/articles/americans-disdain-for-data-centers-hits-new-highs) oppose data center construction in their area, citing environmental and quality-of-life concerns, as well as negative views of AI generally. And a [Pew Research survey](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/03/12/key-findings-about-how-americans-view-artificial-intelligence/) published in March found that 50% of US adults were more concerned than excited about the tech last year, up from 37% in 2021, with many worried about its impact on creativity, relationships and jobs. The opposite is true in China, meanwhile: A survey from University College London in May found that AI uptake is going far better in China, with [less than 10% of respondents](https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3354861/less-10-chinese-public-worried-about-ai-destroying-jobs-survey) worried that the tech will take jobs. ## Our Deeper *View* China approaches AI in a very different way than the US. The focus of its labs is largely on open-source and efficient models, rather than ultrapowerful proprietary models developed by a few leading labs. And while the country's open models used to lag behind models by US firms, according to research from Stanford University's Human-Centered AI institute, [that gap has nearly closed](https://hai.stanford.edu/ai-index/2026-ai-index-report). So, along with its citizens having a substantially more positive view on the technology than Americans, its tech is beating US models in cost and efficiency without sacrificing performance. That's becoming attractive at a time when AI bills are [squeezing enterprises](https://www.thedeepview.com/articles/why-ai-s-tokenmaxxing-obsession-ran-out-of-steam). Pair that with the fact that study after study continues to paint AI as the harbinger of [job loss and economic disruption in the US](https://www.thedeepview.com/articles/the-ai-layoff-panic-is-outrunning-the-data), and the US government is placing limits on [non-US citizens accessing Anthropic's](https://www.thedeepview.com/articles/3-insights-from-latest-anthropic-us-standoff) most powerful models. Taken together, these factors paint a picture that looks much more optimistic in China than in the US right now.