Global Government Cloud Partnerships Map
The United States of America and People’s Republic of China are locked in an aggressive competition over leadership in artificial intelligence, a general technology with significant impacts for global society, politics, and economics. With over 78% of people living outside either the U.S. or China, however, the race will not be won within the borders of these two regional superpowers. To lead in AI and set the norms around its use, the two states must engage globally—particularly within the fast-growing regions of Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia.
Before they can do so, however, artificial intelligence must be made broadly accessible. The vast majority of AI-powered technologies are hosted on the cloud, an internationally-connected ecosystem of remote servers underpinned by a complex network of internet lines, data centers, radio towers, and networking devices. This infrastructure is the backbone of artificial intelligence, enabling global adoption and on-demand use of AI technologies without the prohibitive capital costs required for on-premises computing.
Complicated, expensive, and resource-intensive, cloud infrastructure is less-commonly found in the same countries where AI’s revolutionary potential is greatest. As a result, American firms, Chinese state-funded groups, and international organizations work with over 160 foreign governments to build secure cloud infrastructure and other vital components of the AI stack around the world. These collaborations range from long-term strategic partnerships to billion-dollar investments into local or national internet companies, with additional programs such as AI skills training programs, subsidized loans, and cloud-hosted government information and operations systems often included as well.
The map below illustrates all such partnerships; click a nation to learn more about their agreements and national plans.
