It always seemed to me that the Chinese would never replace us as global hegemons. It wasn’t their economic strength, nor the size or innovative nature of their population. It was their language. In order to impose your will on the rest of the world you have to impose your culture. Surely English has become the universal second language. That’s an artifact of British economic imperialism, but with the overlay of American cultural imperialism. Movies, TV, Music. That’s how we’ve achieved global prominence.
But, with the onset of the AI Epoch, I may have to reconsider. Those of you old enough might remember the brilliant Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, either in its written version or in the incredible BBC television rendering. At the time, literally-minded as I am, I thought of this as just an entertainment fantasy. But, over the years and my readings in cosmology I’ve come to appreciate the prescience of Douglas Adams. You might also recall that protagonist Arthur Dent was aided in his journey to the end of the universe and back by Babel fish. He placed this tiny organism in his ear and it would instantly translate any of the myriad languages he encountered in his travels. And, of course, the odd assortment of cosmic citizens with whom he interacted all used them as well, so they could understand him.
China has a 5,000-year-old culture. And a population just north of 1.4 billion. It’s not going anywhere. But to impose its will on the rest of this planet requires more than just its infrastructure-oriented Belts and Roads Initiative. Sure, Chinese money and Chinese workers can pour into a third-world country. But it takes being able to recognize at least 3,000 ideographs to be able to read a Chinese newspaper. Dealing with things like philosophy, science, or even cultural issues requires much greater comprehension. Then there’s the spoken language. Without a formal grammar it’s hugely dependent on context, a context you almost have to be Chinese to fathom. So, if no one there can understand what they’re saying, or read what they’ve written, imposing culture is like powerful waves thwarted by a granite headland.
But now there is AI. We are only months or weeks away from an actual AI Babel Fish, a small device to stick in the ear, like an AirPod, that has the ability to access the internet and instantly translate even the most complex thought. Meanwhile, for the written word, existing translation software will be turbo-charged by AI.
With the language barriers broken, and with the abrupt decline of American social continuity and global influence, the massive, focused energy of the Chinese state is poised to fill the vacuum we’re leaving. And I’m left looking for some other reason we might still prevail…or, wondering, at this point, if we even should.
©2025, David B Bucher
SoEast 