Digital Sovereignty or Digital Serfdom? AI Strategies, Geopolitics, and the Quest for an Equitable Global South

Simon P Davies, Vikranth Harthikote Nagaraja, Innocent Nyalala, Nirav Pravinbhai Bhatt, Soumya Banerjee

Keywords: AI for global south

Abstract: Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping economies and governance, but its benefits are not evenly distributed. We ask whether countries in the Global South are moving toward digital sovereignty (control over data, compute, and governance) or toward digital serfdom (dependence on foreign platforms and actors). Using a compact seven-dimensional framework and four case studies (i.e., Singapore, Vietnam, Kenya, and Syria), we summarise key asymmetries (compute, talent, regulation) and outline multipolar policy options (AU, ASEAN, India-led cooperation) to promote equitable participation.

Submission Number: 1