The Gods Must Be Crazy Podcast: A Satirical-Scholarly Autopsy of American Capitalism's Death Sprint-Dispatches from the Chinese AI Century's Frontline

LinkedIn Article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ai-mirror-messiah-when-nvidias-ceo-accidentally-truth-saji-epboe/

China is winning the AI race—not through better models, but superior infrastructure and long-term strategy. BIG4 Global Strategist Saji Madapat reveals why America's short-term thinking could cost us everything in the US-China AI competition, and what we must change now.

In this deep-dive episode of The Chris Hood Show, Saji Madapat—a technology strategist with 30+ years including at BIG4 firms and Clinton Global Initiative graduate—delivers a contrarian reality check on the US vs China AI race that challenges conventional Silicon Valley wisdom.

🎯 WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

Why China's AI strategy focuses on infrastructure while America chases "dopamine-dealing" applications—and why that difference determines who wins the AI race long-term

How China's energy infrastructure (80-100% electricity reserves vs US 15%) creates an insurmountable advantage for AI data center buildout

The critical role of standardization in AI development that Western media ignores

Why cutting education budgets today means losing the China-US technology competition tomorrow

How cultural differences between Eastern long-term thinking and Western quarterly-results mentality shape the AI geopolitics landscape

What kind of leadership America needs to compete in the AI race (and why current approaches fail)

The "camel mentality" for sustainable strategy vs Silicon Valley's boom-bust cycle

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 – Introduction: The Global AI Race

Chris Hood introduces the geopolitical stakes of AI and guest Saji Madapat.

01:05 – Guest Background: From "God's Own Country" to Y2K

Saji discusses his origins in Kerala, the "business blunder" of Y2K, and his career evolution from ERP to AI strategy.

03:50 – Hunter vs. Farmer: The Strategic Mindset Shift

Comparing the US "quarterly report" short-termism against China’s 100-year "Century of Rejuvenation" strategy.

06:30 – China’s "AI Plus" & The Digital Silk Road

A breakdown of China’s 2027-2035 roadmap, partnering with the UN, and assembling a global coalition (BRI) while the US lacks a unified strategy.

10:55 – Infrastructure vs. Standardization

Chris argues the US focuses on infrastructure (hardware/energy), while Saji argues China is winning the critical battle for setting global AI standards.

15:30 – "Dopamine Dealers" vs. Applied AI

Saji critiques US Tech Giants for building "addiction/rage-based" algorithms while China restricts social media to focus on robotics and industrial sciences.

18:15 – The Illusion of "Can't" in Enterprise

Discussing corporate inertia and how the "Free Market" excuse often hinders necessary innovation and regulation.

20:30 – The Talent Crisis: Who is Building the AI?

Saji highlights the disparity in STEM graduates (1:8 ratio) and notes that a significant portion of the world's AI developers are of Chinese origin.

23:00 – Conclusion: The Need for "Shock Therapy"

Final thoughts on the need for a new "Square Deal" or "Rooseveltian" leadership to wake the US up from its "Gilded Age" slumber.

💡 KEY INSIGHT:

The United States has the talent, resources, and innovation capacity to lead in AI—but...