Many people believe Chinese artificial intelligence models are leading the global tech race – even in countries considered key US allies – according to a new poll by the London-based consultancy Public First.

However, the poll also revealed that China lags in trust regarding its AI models.

The survey, which covered over 18,000 people across 15 countries, found that respondents from 11 nations acknowledged China’s AI leadership. These included Canada, Britain and France, where at least 40 per cent of those polled deemed China to be outpacing the US in AI capability and innovation.

Germany was the least convinced of US leadership in AI, with only 23 per cent of respondents saying the US was ahead.

Public First, which has no connection with Anthropic-backed Public First Action, did not conduct its poll in China. Among the Americans surveyed, nearly a quarter – or 24 per cent – said that China was ahead of the US, while 51 per cent stated the opposite.

Nevertheless, the poll showed that AI models from the US were considered more trustworthy than those developed in China. Measuring the “net trust” element by subtracting the percentage of distrust from that of trust, the US ranked in second place (+16), following Japan (+22), while China placed 10th with a negative value (-8).