For the purpose of establishing competitive superiority globally through artificial intelligence, economies should think more broadly than simply views of ownership and instead invest in ways that are strategic, cooperative, and sustainable over the long term. The idea of “AI Sovereignty” has emerged as a key aspect of competitive superiority and refers to an economy’s ability to create, manage, and control the use of artificial intelligence in a manner that is consistent with its own cultural and ethical standards while allowing for strategic flexibility and control. At present, investment in infrastructure (i.e., data centers) is typically viewed as “AI Sovereignty,” and not included are the broader views of creating and managing the reality of artificial intelligence, as well as the method by which the capabilities of these technologies will be developed, operated, managed, and integrated at every level of the economy.

This article makes the case that, rather than defining “AI Sovereignty” in terms of total self-sufficiency, a new framework based on the concept of strategic interdependence is more compatible with achieving success in an AI environment and will produce a competitive advantage for economies. Strategic interdependence focuses on encouraging collaboration based on comparative advantage (what an economy does well), interoperability between AI systems, and creating regional and global trusted partnerships. Economies have different starting points when starting their AI journeys, and, therefore, there is not one pathway to achieving a competitive advantage. Policymakers are encouraged to invest judiciously, align strategies with local capability, and build partnerships with other economies internationally to bridge gaps in their capabilities. By placing value on strategic partnerships rather than ownership, economies will experience greater longevity in their AI growth and benefit from the overall AI revolution.