The U.S. Wants Global South Countries to Reject Chinese AI. Will They?

The global AI competition between the United States and China is often misframed as a binary race for AGI, whereas the Global South prioritizes practical concerns like cost-performance, model flexibility, and digital sovereignty. Chinese AI companies, such as DeepSeek, leverage open-source models and aggressive pricing to gain market share, while hardware providers like Huawei bundle these services with infrastructure to build deep regional ties. Countries are increasingly wary of relying on US-controlled servers due to legal and geopolitical risks, pushing them toward sovereign AI strategies that allow for local hosting and customization. Kyle Chan, a fellow at the Brookings Institution, highlights that while both nations lack formal communication channels to de-escalate potential rogue AI incidents, the current landscape is defined by a shift toward decentralized, cost-effective, and locally controlled AI ecosystems that transcend the traditional US-China divide.