This study examines the evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) policies between China and United States. The research focuses on the uniqueness of AI and how public policy tools can be adapted to support a closer link between innovation and national goals. As AI reaches deeper into the global community, it also brings new challenges. These challenges include data privacy concerns, algorithmic bias, and the urgent need to manage innovation fairly. Governments are now under increasing pressure to establish strong policy frameworks. These frameworks must strike a balance between rapid technological change and the protection of social stability. At the same time, AI has become an important part of national governance. It also plays a crucial role in global competition. Therefore, it is important for the state to use AI in a strategic and forward-looking manner.In the era of smart technologies, AI is a major driver of national competitiveness. This study compares the AI policy paths of China and the United States - two global leaders in this field - over the period 2017 to 2023. The study adopts a ‘policy tools-policy subjects’ approach, and uses the Multiple Streams Framework (MSF) as a theoretical framework to further explain how policies change over time. Therefore, this paper more comprehensively analyses the intrinsic mechanism of AI policy changes between China and the United States from 2017 to 2023, and compares the AI strategy designs of the two countries from a relatively perfect perspective. Comparing the advanced experiences of China and the United States, the two world leaders in AI, in AI policy planning will provide an effective reference for the future policy planning of the entire AI industry in the world.

Erzhuo Wu, Rongrong Ma. A Comparative Study of U.S. and China's AI Policy Evolution (2017-2023) from the Perspective of Multiple Streams Framework. International Journal of Frontiers in Sociology (2025), Vol. 7, Issue 8: 1-11. https://doi.org/10.25236/IJFS.2025.070801.

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