While the U.S. (with $109.1 billion in private AI investment in 2024) and China lead in scale, the strategic landscape is fragmenting. Ambitious nations are executing targeted plans to become indispensable. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are deploying sovereign wealth funds to attract AI firms with capital and promises of relaxed regulations. Kazakhstan is positioning itself as a key AI data hub between East and West.
In emerging markets, countries like Kenya and Brazil are focusing on developing AI solutions for local challenges in agriculture, finance, and public health, creating ecosystems that bypass traditional tech hubs. This diversification is fueled by a global hunt for the two resources even more valuable than algorithms: talent and energy. Nations with strong educational pipelines in engineering (like India and parts of Eastern Europe) and those with access to cheap, abundant renewable or geothermal energy (like Iceland or Chile) are gaining new geopolitical leverage. The tech cold war is giving way to a multi-polar tech world with numerous centers of influence.
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