Global technology geopolitics shifts toward AI cooperation and digital sovereignty

The global geopolitical landscape is undergoing a significant shift driven by the competition for technological hegemony and the transition toward digital and ecological economies. A new paradigm of South-South cooperation is emerging, highlighted by the founding declaration of the World Organization for Cooperation in Artificial Intelligence (WAICO) by 29 nations in Shanghai.

This movement contrasts with unilateral sanction models, such as those employed by the United States. The struggle for power in the 21st century is increasingly defined by control over semiconductors, data, and algorithmic sovereignty. While trade restrictions on advanced chips have been used as geopolitical tools, they have also catalyzed internal technological substitution in regions like China.

Latin America and the Caribbean hold strategic importance in this new era due to their abundant natural resources, human and financial productive capacities, and demographic assets. These factors position the region as a critical player in the global digital and ecological transitions, offering an opportunity to move from technological dependence toward active participation in the new world order.