From India to China: 6 countries invest billions in artificial intelligence to reduce dependence on foreign technology | Today’s news
As global competition in AI intensifies, governments around the world are rapidly expanding state-backed AI initiatives to reduce reliance on foreign technology companies.
In recent months, countries including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, India and Singapore have announced new AI policies, sovereign AI programs and large-scale infrastructure investments that reflect how AI is being treated as part of economic strategy and national competitiveness, rather than just private sector technology plants.
Here are 6 countries competing to build their own AI Ministry and sovereign AI ecosystem.
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India
India has stepped up its sovereign push on artificial intelligence through the IndiaAI mission, a government initiative led by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. The mission includes plans for a national AI computing infrastructure with thousands of GPUs, support for Indian AI startups, public datasets and qualification programs aimed at strengthening India’s AI ecosystem. The government has also positioned the INDIAai platform as a hub for AI policy and collaboration.
India also highlighted its AI ambitions during the Global IndiaAI Summit 2024, where policy makers, startups and global technology firms discussed AI governance, semiconductor infrastructure and responsible AI development.
United Arab Emirates
The UAE became one of the first countries to formally institutionalize AI governance with the appointment of a dedicated Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence in 2017. The ministry later expanded its role to include digital economy and telecommuting applications, reflecting the UAE’s ambitions to integrate AI into governance and public services. According to a report by The Times of India, Abu Dhabi recently announced a $13 billion artificial intelligence strategy that aims to build what officials are calling the world’s first government fully powered by artificial intelligence by 2027. The UAE has also invested heavily in AI models and semiconductor partnerships in Arabic as it attempts to position itself as a leading AI hub in the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has rapidly expanded its sovereign AI ambitions as part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 diversification strategy. A significant recent move was the launch of Humain, a new AI-focused company backed by the Public Investment Fund (PIF). The initiative aims to build AI infrastructure, cloud computing systems and large language models in Arabic tailored to regional markets, Reuters reported.
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Singapore
Unlike countries that focus primarily on scale, Singapore has emphasized the responsible deployment of AI and regulatory transparency. Reuters recently reported that Singapore is discussing “nutrition labels” for AI products. According to the report, these labels would explain how AI systems work, their intended use and their limitations to consumers.
The country has implemented several AI governance frameworks while investing in smart city infrastructure, AI talent development and enterprise adoption.
China
China continues to expand its state-backed AI infrastructure as part of its long-term strategy for technological self-sufficiency.
One example is Zhipu AI, which according to Reuters has raised more than $1.4 billion in government-backed funding while helping to deploy sovereign artificial intelligence systems internationally. China’s strategy also favors domestic semiconductor manufacturing, homegrown artificial intelligence models, and state-controlled cloud infrastructure to reduce dependence on Western technology ecosystems.
France
French politicians have repeatedly warned against Europe becoming too dependent on American or Chinese artificial intelligence ecosystems. Through measures such as the AI Act, it has supported major AI research projects, domestic AI startups and EU-wide regulation. The Global Sovereign AI Initiatives Tracker tracks other sovereign AI initiatives.
