US officials are now framing the AI race with China as a national-security contest where even a tiny lead can change the outcome.

At a Hudson Institute event, House Foreign Affairs Chairman Brian Mast called America the “superhero” and China the “supervillain” in global AI competition.

Senator Jim Banks said the race is economic, military and moral, and warned the US cannot afford to lose to its “biggest adversary.”

Bessent put it bluntly this week: China is willing to discuss AI because the US is still ahead. The fear in Washington is that “ahead” is becoming a narrower lead.

And I am very, very sure that the Fable 5 ban needs to be understood against this backdrop.