In Iron Man (2008), an American industrialist says to an Asian warlord, “Technology. It’s always been your Achilles’ heel in this part of the world.”

While that may not always have been true, it certainly has been for the last 600 years or so. The Chinese had ships much larger than Columbus ever did, but culture got in the way. Because aristocrats feared international trade would enrich merchants, the Ming Dynasty banned oceangoing voyages in 1430. By 1500, the emperor made it a capital offense to build private ships with more than two masts!

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Technology wasn’t the Achilles heel — culture was.

As we contemplate the future, it’s important to remember this history. As President Donald Trump hosted his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Washington, artificial intelligence sat near the top of the agenda. Because of AI’s potential to affect everything, the AI race symbolizes the larger contest for technological supremacy. But while the AI discussion is so high-profile, a quieter and arguably more consequential race is unfolding in biotech.

The biotech race is just as important as the AI race. The United States has significant advantages. America’s research universities remain unparalleled, and our biotech ecosystem continues to attract........

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