‘Sovereign AI’ is really about having a choice: ‘You don’t want to be tethered to anybody else’

Good morning. Nicholas Gordon here, reporting from Hong Kong. “Sovereign AI” is the buzzword of choice in the global tech sector—at least if you’re based anywhere other than the U.S. and China. Government officials and companies are increasingly worried about tying themselves too closely to one country’s AI systems. But what “sovereignty” is meant to protect varies by geography. In Europe, it’s data, keeping personal information at home. In the Middle East and much of Asia, it’s local industry, part of a bet that a homegrown AI sector will pay economic dividends. And for smaller economies, it’s autonomy to ward off the fear of being cut off by a supplier in another country. “AI has become such an essential need, and so you don’t want to be tethered to anybody else who can turn it off,” Pak