Is the AI arms race framing a self-fulfilling prophecy?

verity harding, former global public policy lead at google deepmind, warns that characterizing ai development as an 'arms race' restricts thinking and endangers global safety. she argues this nationalist framing, driven by fears of china and anti-regulation lobbying, leads to protectionist policies like us export controls that block necessary collaboration. harding suggests this narrative forces smaller nations to pick sides, whereas international cooperation is required to ensure safety and equitable distribution of ai benefits.