rhetoric

Yellow Techno-Peril: The "Clash of Civilizations" and Anti-Chinese Racial Rhetoric in the US–China AI Arms Race

A 2024 open-access article in Big Data & Society by Kerry McInerney arguing that the "AI arms race" narrative between the United States and China is deeply racialized, building on "Clash of Civilizations" rhetoric and older anti-Asian tropes such as techno-Orientalism and the Yellow Peril. The author coins "Yellow Techno-Peril" and offers recommendations for policymakers, journalists, and media organizations. Free to read (open access).

Why I recommend it: The arms-race framing shows up constantly in AI coverage. This paper names what that framing carries with it and gives concrete guidance for talking about competition without the racialized baggage.