New Delhi, March 4 (NationPress) As the United States and China engage in a fierce competition in the AI sector to establish global dominance, nations like India, Indonesia, and Vietnam are approaching this cutting-edge technology with the more pragmatic goal of fulfilling their developmental objectives and preserving their digital sovereignty, as noted in a recent article.

The US is at the forefront of innovative breakthroughs, from sophisticated language models to artificial general intelligence (AGI), while China showcases its strength in embodied AI, industrial robotics, and hardware integration. This rivalry also encompasses control over critical resources: advanced semiconductors versus essential minerals and energy infrastructure, according to the article by Tuhu Nugraha published in the Modern Diplomacy news portal.

For a significant portion of the Global South, the implications are both political and developmental. A concentration of AI capabilities can lead to structural dependency, wherein data and profits are extracted while narrowing the space for local policies. Without strategic autonomy, emerging economies risk being integrated into competing digital blocs, the article observed.

Indonesia and Vietnam have aspirations to achieve developed-nation status by 2045, while India targets 2047, marking the centenary of its independence as its milestone. These aligned timelines foster deeper technological collaboration among these three middle powers focused on achieving digital strategic autonomy, the article indicated.

This collaboration mirrors shared national interests. For India, Indonesia, and Vietnam, AI is not merely a status symbol but a means for transformative structural change, resonating with earlier phases of East Asian industrialization. The aim is to alleviate poverty and enhance dignity through technological advancements. The challenge remains in effectively converting aspirations into actionable institutional strategies.

The article emphasizes that India adopts issue-based multi-alignment rather than adhering to bloc politics. In the realm of digital technology, this approach manifests in the export of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI): adaptable identity systems, payment networks, and governance frameworks that can be utilized across developing nations.

Through initiatives like the IndiaAI Mission and BharatGen, India is significantly investing in its domestic AI capabilities while prioritizing the development of "safe and trusted AI". Governance is integrated into the framework. India's goal is not mere alignment but the establishment of institutionalized autonomy via interoperable public systems, the article asserts.

Indonesia's longstanding foreign policy principle of bebas dan aktif, which translates to "free and active", reflects its non-aligned yet engaged approach, now extending to its digital policy. Projects like Sahabat-AI, developed in collaboration with India’s Tech Mahindra, illustrate how private innovation can align with public objectives.

Vietnam enhances supply-chain resilience through what is known as Bamboo Diplomacy, a strategy of flexibility that allows it to absorb Western investments while maintaining close ties with China, managing tensions through a careful balance rather than outright alignment. This approach is not ambiguity for its own sake but a survival tactic shaped by historical and geographical context, the article concluded.