And so will the amazing power of the new AI models and their applications create a far-reaching redistribution of international power. Of course, no transformation is driven by a single technology alone. AI stands on the shoulders of enormous developments in computing power, data availability, the Internet, cloud services, digital infrastructure, programming platforms, downloadable programme modules and open-source code, just to name a few. But in this knowledge-driven, digital economy, AI is the defining technology and the primary indicator of technological prowess.
It is no wonder that technological might and AI have been at the top of the minds of national leaders across the world. Five years ago, Vladimir Putin said that the country that takes the lead in artificial intelligence will rule the world. Four years ago, in her inauguration speech, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, set technological sovereignty as the EU’s top priority. But Europe does not dominate technologically anymore, that position shifted to the US many years ago. Four years after Van der Leyen’s speech and billions of Euros spent by the European Union, Europe is even further behind. Now technological capability and capacity are shifting again towards a duo-political global domination by the USA and China.
Sitting in an office in a small nation far north in Europe, writing for a magazine that is read across nations in the Gulf and beyond, makes me think you and I have something in common. We wonder where technology will lead us, where it will lead our companies, and how we can make use of it. And we wonder who controls this technology. Will it be a few very large technology companies in two globally domineering nations?
It is said that in the tech economy, there is no bronze medal. The conventional wisdom has been that American technology companies depend on elite researchers, impressively expensive hardware, and enormous investments to outperform the rest of the world. But these advantages are no longer key to harnessing the power of AI. The open-source movement, advancements in cloud computing, public APIs, software libraries, knowledge sharing, online education, regulation, antitrust measures, data privacy, and advanced technology, are getting increasingly more accessible.