Ben Harburg has spent years studying the technology race between the United States and China, and he brought that perspective to a conversation with Sean Kelly on the Digital Social Hour. As a technology investor who tracks innovation on both sides of the Pacific, Harburg offered his own read on where the balance of power is shifting.
The conversation moves briskly through drones, artificial intelligence, and military technology before landing on tariffs and what Harburg believes people can do with this information — all framed as his personal analysis of a fast-moving and often contested subject.
About Ben Harburg
Ben Harburg is a technology investor whose work centers on tracking China's innovation ecosystem and how it compares with the United States. His perspective is shaped by years spent following both countries' approaches to emerging technology, from consumer apps to military applications.
He has built a public platform around sharing that analysis, engaging audiences with his own reading of where Chinese and American technology development are converging — and where, in his view, they are pulling apart.
What Ben Harburg and Sean Kelly Talked About
- Harburg's argument that China has pulled ahead of the United States in commercial drone technology
- His read on how artificial intelligence and automation are reshaping military capability worldwide
- Why he sees hypersonic missile development as a key marker of the US-China technology race
- His perspective on how Chinese apps have grown into major global consumer platforms
- How he assesses the effect of tariffs on the broader US-China technology relationship
- His take on where China's economy stands amid its ongoing rivalry with the United States
- Practical steps Harburg suggests for people trying to understand these shifts in technology
- His view on how humanoid robots fit into the next phase of the innovation race
Why This Conversation Matters
Conversations like this give Ben Harburg room to lay out, in his own words, how he reads one of the defining technology rivalries of the moment — useful context for anyone forming their own view of where global innovation is headed.
▶ Watch the full episode on YouTube
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About Sean Kelly & the Digital Social Hour
Sean Kelly is an entrepreneur and the host of the Digital Social Hour, one of the fastest-growing interview podcasts in the world, where he sits down with entrepreneurs, athletes, creators, and cultural voices for candid, long-form conversations. The show draws over 100 million views a month across platforms. Explore more guest features on SeanKelly.io.
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