BUFFALO, N.Y. — The American Edge Project is a coalition of industry and government leaders, including Meta, the National Small Business Association and the National Black Chamber of Commerce, promoting America as a global technology leader.
CEO Doug Kelly said the primary focus is on the strategic technologies of tomorrow.
“Microchips, artificial intelligence, quantum computing and all the other things that will determine which countries will have geopolitical leadership over the coming decades,” Kerry said.
Kelly likened the current technological race between nations to the Cold War space race between the United States and the Soviet Union, saying the goal this time is for the US to gain an advantage not just over Russia but also over China.
“The stakes are high, as the winner of this competition will gain a decades-long advantage in national security, economic prosperity and global influence,” he said.
Kelly said New York is positioning itself as one of the major players in the country as it focuses on expanding its AI and microchip sectors. Last week’s visit by the Dutch royal family and the partnership agreement with the Netherlands was another important step, Kelly said.
“This is great for New York because it strengthens our leadership in semiconductors and other advanced technologies,” he said. “It will deepen New York’s talent pool and help strengthen the microchip supply chain.”
American Edge said it is important for the United States to partner with countries that share a similar vision and values on new technologies, rather than pursuing an isolationist policy.
“We believe in democracy. We believe in openness. We believe in freedom of expression and that’s reflected in our technology and it helps advance those values,” Kelly said. “China and Russia have very different views on how to use technology. In general, they use technology for governments to control, censor and surveil their citizens.”
He said when countries export their technology to other countries, they are not only reaping the economic benefits, but also exporting their vision for the use of that technology.
