Delivered by Hon. Mark Kennedy, Director, Wahba Institute for Strategic Competition
Boston Global Forum Conference, Harvard University, April 22, 2025
In his compelling address, Hon. Mark Kennedy emphasized that the world is undergoing a major digital realignment, with AI at the center of a growing divide between democratic and authoritarian tech ecosystems—primarily the U.S. and China. He warned that this is not just a technological race but a competition of governance models, values, and global influence.
Kennedy outlined five strategic steps for U.S.-led AI diplomacy:
- Build a Trusted Alliance – Strengthen partnerships with allies and rising powers while ensuring regulatory interoperability rather than rigidity.
- Balance Security with Access – Avoid over-restriction on chip exports and include more allies in the trusted AI ecosystem to counter China’s reach.
- Lead with a Trusted Open Model – Support democratic-aligned open-source AI alternatives to prevent digital dependence on censored Chinese models.
- Extend Shared Infrastructure – Invest in cloud, compute, and AI capacity in emerging markets to offer a credible democratic tech alternative.
- Embed AI in Economic Statecraft – Recognize AI as central to trade, diplomacy, and development, and empower U.S. companies as partners—not agents of the state.
He concluded by reaffirming the importance of the Boston Global Forum’s New Economic Alliance, calling it a vital platform to lead not just through innovation, but by building trust and collaboration across democracies in the AI Age.
Please see full here: https://bostonglobalforum.org/news/ai-diplomacy-in-a-divided-world-why-trust-will-define-the-digital-future/
