Episode 110: How Diffusing New Technologies Defines Great Powers with Jeffrey Ding

In this episode of ECIPE’s Global Economy podcast, Fredrik Erixon speaks with Jeffrey Ding, assistant professor at George Washington University, about his book Technology and the Rise of Great Powers: How Diffusion Shapes Economic Competition.

They discuss how the diffusion of general-purpose technologies, rather than just leading-edge innovation, drives national economic power. Drawing on historical cases from the Industrial Revolutions to today’s AI race, Ding explains why widespread adoption across sectors is more critical than simply being first. The conversation explores implications for the US, China, and Europe in the current technological competition.

You can purchase the book “Technology and the Rise of Great Powers: How Diffusion Shapes Economic Competition” here.

You can watch a video recording of this conversation here.

You can read a transcript of the chat here.

Jeffrey Ding is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at George Washington University. Prior to this role, Ding served as a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford’s Center for International Security and Cooperation, sponsored by Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence.

Ding’s research focuses on great power competition and cooperation in emerging technologies, the political economy of innovation, and China’s scientific and technological capabilities. His work has been published or is forthcoming in the European Journal of International Relations, European Journal of International Security, Foreign Affairs, International Studies Quarterly, Review of International Political Economy, and Security Studies, and his research has been cited in major outlets such as The Washington Post and The Financial Times.

Ding earned his PhD in 2021 from the University of Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar. Previously, he worked as a researcher for Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology and Oxford’s Centre for the Governance of AI. Originally from Iowa City, Ding is a lifelong Hawkeye fan and a proud graduate of the University of Iowa.