Global AI Competition Shifts to Nation-State Infrastructure, CNAS Reports
A recent analysis by the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), a U.S. foreign policy and national security think tank, indicates a significant shift in global artificial intelligence (AI) competition. The focus is moving from company-level model performance battles to nation-level infrastructure and ecosystem building, termed 'sovereign AI.' Government-funded AI projects worldwide, excluding the U.S. and China, have surged from 7 in June 2023 to 184 by June 2026, representing a more than 26-fold increase across 67 countries. This expansion includes low- and middle-income nations like Cambodia, Nepal, Ghana, Egypt, and Paraguay. Investment, totaling at least $83.9 billion from 113 projects with disclosed figures, is primarily concentrated on infrastructure such as data centers, rather than solely on AI model development. For instance, infrastructure projects grew from 2 to 117 in the same period, significantly outpacing the 63 model development projects. Countries like the UK and India are purchasing s...
