Analysis: Global AI Players? India, UAE, and the UK

Key Chapter Title List

1. Introduction
2. The Pursuit of AI Sovereignty
3. India: Walking on a Pinpoint
4. UAE: Rapid Startup Capability
5. United Kingdom: Consolidating Advantages
6. Conclusion

Document Introduction

As emerging disruptive technologies increasingly become a core component of national security, artificial intelligence, as a meta-technology, has become a critical capability contested by state actors and industries, profoundly shaping the current geopolitical landscape. The intensification of global tensions and the deep supply chain dependencies exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic have prompted nations to compete in seeking technological sovereignty and strategic autonomy in the field of artificial intelligence. Although international debate often focuses on the two leading powers, the United States and China, the ambitions and pathways of countries such as India, the UAE, and the United Kingdom are equally crucial. They represent diverse development models under different national scales, resource endowments, and strategic positioning.

This report, released by GSIS (Global Security and Innovation Summit), aims to systematically analyze the national AI strategies, implementation pathways, and challenges faced by India, the UAE, and the United Kingdom. By comparing the different approaches of these three countries in creating domestic AI ecosystems, acquiring key technologies, attracting and retaining talent, and building international partnerships, the report reveals the geopolitical, economic, and institutional dilemmas faced by middle powers and wealthy small nations against the backdrop of U.S.-China technological competition.

The core of India's strategy lies in leveraging its vast talent base and domestic market to attract foreign investment and technology while focusing on building indigenous, resource-efficient AI models and ecosystems. Its "Make in India, for India" approach, through public investments such as the "India AI Mission" totaling over $1.3 billion, aims to lower the barrier for domestic startups and research institutions to access AI computing power and develop autonomous large language models. However, India still needs to balance its reliance on foreign chips and technology with nurturing domestic innovation capabilities.

The UAE, leveraging its substantial national wealth, has adopted a state-owned enterprise-led path to "leapfrog" into the AI industry through direct acquisitions and rapid deployment. The country actively uses its sovereign wealth funds for international investments and mergers & acquisitions and builds an extensive network of bilateral economic and trade agreements to expand its market. However, its dependence on U.S. technology (such as large-scale purchases of NVIDIA chips) and its historical ties with China make its strategy vulnerable to external political pressures, especially in the context of U.S. restrictions on technology exports to China.

The United Kingdom, as the world's third-largest AI market, strategically focuses on leveraging its world-class R&D institutions, mature education system, and consolidating its special relationship with the United States in the post-Brexit era, aiming to become a global AI "creator" rather than a "recipient." The UK leads global governance discussions by hosting the inaugural AI Safety Summit while increasing domestic public investment and attracting U.S. tech giants to build infrastructure. However, its venture capital ecosystem is relatively conservative, and it needs to make certain concessions to the U.S. in regulatory policies to maintain the strategic alliance.

This report ultimately points out that the three country cases demonstrate different pathways to acquiring AI sovereignty and their inherent risks. India has chosen a path more focused on long-term cost-effectiveness and indigenous innovation; the UAE and the UK rely more on the U.S. technological system for rapid capability building but may face impacts from more resource-efficient competitive models from other regions (such as China). These analyses provide a critical perspective for understanding the strategic choices and vulnerabilities of non-dominant participants in the global AI competition landscape.