The Geopolitics of Artificial Intelligence: Power, Regulation, and Global Governance

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as one of the most transformative forces shaping the 21st-century international order. Beyond its technological and economic implications, AI represents a new dimension of geopolitical power that influences how states project authority, regulate innovation, and negotiate global norms. This paper examines the geopolitics of AI by analyzing how the technology reshapes traditional power structures, challenges regulatory frameworks, and redefines global governance mechanisms. Drawing on international relations theories-particularly realism, liberal institutionalism, and constructivism-the study explores the strategic rivalry among major actors such as the United States, China, and the European Union, each pursuing distinct models of AI development and regulation. Through comparative policy analysis and qualitative document review, the paper identifies the emergence of three competing governance paradigms: the innovation-driven liberal model, the ethics-oriented regulatory model, and the state-controlled authoritarian model. Furthermore , it evaluates global efforts toward establishing shared norms and multilateral cooperation through initiatives led by the United Nations, OECD, UNESCO, and G7. The findings suggest that AI intensifies asymmetries of power and creates "algorithmic hierarchies" that reinforce digital dependence, especially in the Global South. Ultimately, the study argues that the geopolitics of AI constitutes not only a competition for technological supremacy but also a contest over the moral and institutional foundations of global governance. The paper concludes by emphasizing the need for inclusive, transparent, and ethically grounded AI governance capable of balancing innovation, accountability, and human security.