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Op-Ed OCTOBER 02, 2026 | The Indian Eye 12

Between Beijing and Washington,

India Must Choose Its Interests

The Xi-Trump meeting confirms that the world is entering an era in which

US-China relations will shape the global order—but India’s answer cannot be to

become an appendage of either power.

ASHISH K SINGH States and China are strategic com-
petitors, yet AI presents challenges
rtificial intelligence has moved that transcend national borders. Issues
far beyond the realm of tech- such as misinformation, cyber threats,
Anology policy. It is now at the autonomous weapons and the broad-
centre of geopolitics, economic com- er social impact of AI require some
petition and national security. The degree of international coordination.
possibility that the Trump adminis- Complete technological decoupling
tration could convene a meeting of may therefore prove difficult.
leading AI executives during Chinese The timing of Xi’s visit to Wash-
President Xi Jinping’s visit to the ington is significant. US-China rela-
United States underlines a profound tions have been marked by tensions
reality: AI has become the new arena over trade, technology, semiconduc-
of strategic rivalry between Washing- tors and security. AI now adds anoth-
ton and Beijing. er layer to this rivalry. The competi-
For decades, great-power com- tion is not only about who develops
petition revolved around military the most advanced systems but also
strength, energy resources, industri- about whose model of governance
al production and access to markets. prevails.
In the twenty-first century, however, The United States currently fa-
the race for supremacy increasingly Some executives at frontier AI companies have argued for stronger guardrails and internation- vours a market-driven approach root-
centres on data, computing power, ed in private-sector innovation, while
advanced chips and artificial intelli- al frameworks to manage risks associated with increasingly powerful systems (File photo) China combines state direction with
gence. The country that leads in AI long-term strategic planning. The
is likely to enjoy significant advantag- increasingly powerful systems. Others ingly rival those of states. future global AI order may emerge
es in economic productivity, military fear that excessive regulation could The possible gathering of execu- from the interaction — and perhaps
applications, healthcare, finance and slow innovation and allow rivals, par- tives from OpenAI, Nvidia, Google, the confrontation — between these
scientific innovation. ticularly China, to gain an advantage. Meta, Anthropic and other firms in two models.
This is the context behind US Vice President JD Vance’s recent Washington highlights this new re- For the rest of the world, includ-
President Donald Trump’s repeat- comments capture this divide. His ality. Governments need technology ing countries of the Global South,
ed assertion that “whoever wins AI, criticism of AI developers who warn companies to maintain competitive- this contest carries important impli-
wins.” His administration’s emphasis about the dangers of advanced sys- ness, while companies increasingly cations. Nations such as India, Bra-
on accelerating innovation, expand- tems while continuing to build them rely on governments for policy sup- zil and South Africa will seek access
ing data centres and maintaining reflects a growing scepticism within port, access to infrastructure and to AI technologies while preserving
American technological dominance parts of the American political estab- protection from strategic rivals. The digital sovereignty and ensuring that
reflects a broader strategic calcu- lishment toward global governance relationship between state power and emerging rules are not shaped exclu-
lation: AI leadership is no longer models. For many in Washington, the corporate innovation is becoming a sively by major powers.
viewed simply as an economic objec- central challenge is not merely man- defining feature of the AI era. Artificial intelligence is often de-
tive but as a matter of national power. aging risk but ensuring that the Unit- At the same time, China is of- scribed as the next industrial revolu-
Yet the emerging debate in Wash- ed States remains ahead in a strategic fering a different narrative. Beijing tion. That may be true. But it is also
ington also exposes a deeper tension. competition with China. has called for openness, inclusivity becoming the defining geopolitical
Can governments encourage rapid This debate mirrors earlier tech- and global cooperation in AI gover- question of our age. The real contest is
innovation while simultaneously ad- nological revolutions. Nuclear energy, nance, warning against confrontation not only over algorithms and chips. It is
dressing concerns about safety, ethics space exploration and the internet all and technological fragmentation. At over values, institutions and the archi-
and regulation? raised questions about international the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, tecture of future global governance.
This question has divided pol- rules and national interests. Artificial President Xi Jinping argued for a As Washington debates regula-
icymakers and technology leaders intelligence, however, presents a more people-centred approach and a con- tion and Beijing calls for cooperation,
alike. Some executives at frontier AI complex challenge because its devel- sensus-based framework for manag- one thing is clear: the future of AI will
companies have argued for stronger opment is driven not only by govern- ing AI. shape not just economies and indus-
guardrails and international frame- ments but also by powerful private Whether such cooperation is pos- tries, but the balance of power in the
works to manage risks associated with companies whose capabilities increas- sible remains uncertain. The United twenty-first century.

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