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Geopolitics of the AI Supply Chain: Control, Dependency, and National AI Ecosystems in the US, EU, China, and the UAE

By Kenddrick Chan, Songruowen Mar and Ce Hao

This research report examines national AI policy environments, as well as cross-border dependencies and forms of control within the AI supply chain, through a comparative framework spanning the United States, the European Union, the People’s Republic of China, and the United Arab Emirates. Firstly, the report outlines the AI governance regime of each country, including regulatory frameworks, commercial incentives, and ethical guidelines, to establish a high-level broad overview of the strategic environment. Secondly, it maps country-specific dependency structures across three essential domains: compute, finance, and talent. These structural dependencies are conceptualised as potential geopolitical vulnerabilities that act as constraints upon countries’ operations. Building on these insights, the report turns to the future and considers the likely trajectories and evolution of national AI strategies in these countries.

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About the Authors

Kenddrick Chan is Head of the Technology and International Affairs project at LSE IDEAS and doctoral candidate at the University of Oxford

Songruowen Ma is a doctoral candidate at the University of Oxford

Ce Hao is Assistant Professor at Beijing Zhongguancun Academy.