Policy thinkers and industry figures pushed back against framing AI as a zero-sum race after recent U.S. actions on chip exports to China. The Trump administration’s move to permit exports of Nvidia H200 processors with fees sparked renewed debate about export controls, national security and the global research ecosystem. Scholars including authors cited in the piece argued the "race" metaphor oversimplifies technology diffusion and can lead to counterproductive policies. The piece highlights comments from Dario Amodei and critics of strict export regimes and notes that some firms and researchers are already limiting access to models and tools. Universities and cross-border research programs face direct consequences: export controls and nationalist rhetoric can complicate collaborations, limit access to computing resources for foreign students, and raise compliance burdens for campus research offices. Export controls are government measures that restrict the sale or transfer of certain technologies across borders.