In today’s fast-paced business and economic world, there is no greater tool to get ahead than technology, especially AI. Right here in the Beehive State, our innovators are leveraging AI to transform almost every sector. Whether it’s a small business owner using AI automations to streamline work, a med student using AI to transform healthcare, or a startup in Silicon Slopes using AI to strengthen our military and Air Force bases right here, technology and AI are critical to the growth, success, and leadership of our state and nation.

However, as the future becomes increasingly built on the foundations of artificial intelligence, our adversaries, namely China, are looking to get ahead and pave the way. China isn’t just building faster processors or more powerful algorithms. It’s embedding its vision into the very architecture of emerging technologies – tools that shape how we work, communicate, and protect ourselves and our country.

Washington has done well to acknowledge the threat that China poses in the global competition for AI leadership. We must boldly support our brilliant American innovators, particularly with the recent announcement of the AI Action Plan. The United States is taking steps to stay ahead of China. However, we must not stop there.

American AI leadership requires a whole-of-society approach, from Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) classes in high school and college to prepare the next generation of workers, to a pro-innovation legislative environment at the local, state, and national levels.

Utah knows what it means to build. We’ve seen firsthand how smart investment, entrepreneurial grit, and education can transform a region into a thriving tech hub. But to sustain that momentum, we need strong national support: robust federal R&D funding, pro-innovation policies, talent development pipelines, and public-private partnerships that accelerate our competitive advantage.

Utah alone cannot fend off China’s determination to underpin the world with its technology. We must come together in a coordinated and urgent way and prioritize policies supporting American technology and innovation.

Now is not the time to take our foot off the accelerator. China is investing trillions into AI and wants to be the global AI leader by 2030 – and will stop at nothing to achieve it. To secure a future built by American technology that strengthens American businesses and workers, Washington must avoid policies that tie the hands of our innovators. The unintended consequences of misguided legislation targeting our domestic tech sectors can hinder U.S. innovation, forcing us to play catch-up with China.

Utah’s example shows what’s possible when the freedom to innovate meets entrepreneurial determination. It’s time for America to double down on that model before it’s too late.

Bill Rappleye is the former CEO of the Draper Area Chamber of Commerce and a former Draper City Councilman.