Public fears AI's rapid rise, Chinese lab challenges US dominance, and students get free ChatGPT

As artificial intelligence races toward a predicted breakthrough in human-level capabilities by 2027, experts and the public clash over its implications for society, jobs, and education. The emergence of China's DeepSeek lab in the competitive AI landscape highlights growing global tensions, while OpenAI's free student access to ChatGPT Plus signals a pivotal moment in how the next generation will learn and work alongside AI systems.