Robert Tarjan, the 1986 Turing laureate and American computer scientist, urged a more measured approach to artificial intelligence development during an interview with China Global Television Network in Beijing, where he is attending the 2026 International Congress of Basic Science (ICBS). The event kicked off on Sunday and runs through August 21. As competition intensifies between the United States and China in AI, the U.S. focuses on achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI) with massive models and extensive computing power, while China emphasizes "AI plus," integrating AI with industry and society. Tarjan invoked the tortoise-and-hare fable, saying, "In this race, the fastest doesn't always win." He stated, "We can take our time and be slow, actually. Maybe we just need to slow down, think about these issues. We don’t need to be in such a hurry." Reflecting on technology's social impact, he questioned whether advances meant to improve lives have instead contributed to longer working hours, arguing that wealth generated by technology should be shared more widely. He recalled that in the 1950s, technology was expected to give everyone leisure time, but "all these technologies have only forced people to work more and more and more," adding, "Maybe we should return to this ideal where you don't spend your entire life doing nothing, but you don't have to work so hard."