Spearheaded by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, the National Security Commission on AI proposed aggressive measures to close the data gap between American and Chinese tech ecosystems. Their logic? China's massive population generates exponentially more data, feeding state-run AI systems with an efficiency the U.S. currently can't match. To catch up, the commission suggested reshaping American life—shifting away from in-person shopping and healthcare, ending car ownership in favor of AI-managed ride fleets, and integrating AI into every aspect of public and private life.

What began as a national security imperative edges dangerously close to social engineering. The fear of falling behind China is being used to justify data-harvesting policies that threaten to erode personal freedom, human agency, and real-world social bonds. Meanwhile, tech oligarchs with ties to both American intelligence and Chinese industry stand to benefit from a future where every human action is digitized, surveilled, and monetized. The implications for children, families, and civic life are profound—and possibly irreversible—if the trajectory continues unchecked.