Mark Cuban warns US must keep investing in research to stay ahead of China in AI race

Mark Cuban has warned that the United States must continue investing in research if it hopes to maintain its lead over China in the artificial intelligence race. Speaking to Business Insider on Sunday, Cuban emphasized the importance of keeping top scientists, Ph.D.s, and experts in the country to ensure American AI models remain global leaders. “The IP we create domestically is what the frontier models can buy or invest in to define their differentiation and advance forward,” Cuban wrote on X in response to a post by David Sacks, the White House’s AI and crypto czar. He explained that high-quality research produces intellectual property that can be licensed to AI models—like ChatGPT and Gemini—for training data, generating revenue while enhancing model performance. Cuban stressed that the value of U.S. research goes beyond scientific discovery. It directly fuels innovation in AI by providing the foundational knowledge and data that cutting-edge systems rely on. “The quality and depth of the research we do in this country can help us stay ahead of China and other countries in the AI race,” he said. He also highlighted the need to retain top talent. “We need our Ph.D.s, our scientists, our experts to stay here and contribute to society, and their IP to make American AI models the global leaders,” he added. This call comes amid growing concern over recent federal funding cuts to research institutions. Since taking office in January, the Trump administration has reduced grants for universities and agencies like the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Researchers have warned these cuts threaten long-term innovation and could trigger a brain drain, with top minds moving to countries with stronger research support. Peter Lurie, a recipient of an NIH grant terminated in March, told Business Insider’s Ayelet Sheffey that the cuts endanger America’s position as a global leader in medical and technological research. “For that, we will pay,” he said. Despite these challenges, the Trump administration has prioritized AI competitiveness, releasing a 28-page “AI Action Plan” that advocates for a light-touch regulatory approach—contrasting with the more cautious stance of the Biden administration. The urgency intensified in January when Chinese AI startup DeepSeek released high-performing models at a fraction of the cost of Western counterparts. President Trump described the development as a “wake-up call” for American industry. “The release of DeepSeek, AI from a Chinese company, should be a wake-up call for our industries that we need to be laser-focused on competing to win,” he told GOP lawmakers. Cuban’s message underscores a broader concern: sustained investment in research and talent is not just a scientific imperative—it’s a strategic necessity for national leadership in the AI era.