DefinePK

Abstract

This study examines the strategic significance of artificial intelligence (AI) in shaping 21st-century geopolitics, with implications for economic development, military capability, intelligence operations, and governance structures. Employing a qualitative methodology and secondary data analysis of scholarly literature, policy reports, government publications, and professional news sources from 2020–2025, the research synthesizes key insights into AI’s multifaceted role as a transformative resource. Findings indicate that AI enhances national power by simultaneously strengthening economic innovation, industrial competitiveness, and security preparedness, while also generating new vulnerabilities in governance. Economically, AI drives technological advancement and industrial policy, with the United States, China, and the European Union emerging as primary actors. Militarily, AI has already altered battlefield dynamics, as evidenced in the Russia–Ukraine conflict, through the deployment of drone swarms, predictive logistics, and autonomous systems. In cyberspace and intelligence operations, AI functions as both a defensive and offensive tool, challenging traditional deterrence frameworks. The study highlights ongoing global debates regarding AI governance in military applications, as well as the pursuit of technological sovereignty by middle powers. The research concludes that AI is a central element of great power competition, particularly between the United States and China, and has reconfigured international power relations, giving rise to new paradigms of governance, cooperation, and strategic risk management.