Published 2026-06-26 | Version v1.0
Policy BriefOpenPublished

Global AI Power Mapping

Domains, Alliances, and Rule Spaces

Description

This policy brief proposes a domain-based framework for mapping global AI power beyond public model rankings, market share, or firm-level competition. It argues that global AI power is distributed through overlapping domains shaped by states, platforms, cloud infrastructure, data regimes, standards, capital networks, language communities, industrial systems, public institutions, and security architectures. The brief identifies seven AI power domains—the U.S.-Backed AI Domain, China-Backed AI Domain, EU Regulatory Domain, India Service and Language Domain, Gulf Capital and Compute Nodes, Russian Sovereign Security AI Domain, and Global South AI Application Zones—and highlights overlap zones where AI infrastructure, standards, localization, data governance, and geopolitical alignment may be contested.

Abstract

Global AI power should not be measured only by market share, user numbers, company valuations, or public model rankings. These indicators capture visible competition, but they do not fully explain the deeper distribution of AI capability, influence, and control. A more accurate map of global AI power must account for the institutional, infrastructural, financial, regulatory, linguistic, industrial, and security systems through which AI is developed and deployed. This policy brief proposes a domain-based approach to global AI power mapping. Rather than treating AI competition as a single leaderboard of models or firms, it maps AI power as a set of overlapping domains of influence. These domains combine technological capability with institutional authority, infrastructure control, regulatory power, capital allocation, language-cultural reach, industrial embedding, and security integration. The brief identifies seven proposed AI power domains: the U.S.-Backed AI Domain, China-Backed AI Domain, EU Regulatory Domain, India Service and Language Domain, Gulf Capital and Compute Nodes, Russian Sovereign Security AI Domain, and Global South AI Application Zones. The central argument is that global AI power is not a single market-share contest. It is a layered and networked structure shaped by states, platforms, data regimes, infrastructure, capital, standards, languages, industrial systems, and security institutions.

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Keywords

  • global AI power
  • AI power mapping
  • AI domains
  • rule spaces
  • AI governance
  • AI geopolitics
  • frontier models
  • cloud infrastructure
  • compute infrastructure
  • data sovereignty
  • AI standards
  • AI regulation
  • EU AI Act
  • United States
  • China
  • European Union
  • India
  • Gulf states
  • Russia
  • Global South
  • AI infrastructure
  • platform ecosystems
  • capital networks
  • language zones
  • public-sector AI
  • security integration
  • strategic competition
  • EPINOVA

Subjects

  • Artificial intelligence governance
  • International relations
  • Strategic competition
  • Technology policy
  • AI geopolitics
  • Digital infrastructure
  • Cloud computing
  • Data governance
  • Regulation
  • Security studies
  • Global political economy
  • Public policy
  • Development policy
  • Standards governance
  • Platform ecosystems

Recommended citation

Wu, Shaoyuan (2026), Global AI Power Mapping: Domains, Alliances, and Rule Spaces, Policy Brief No. EPINOVA–2026–PB–60, Global AI Governance and Policy Research Center, EPINOVA LLC. https://doi.org/10.67037/epinova.pb.2026.060.

APA citation

Wu, S. (2026). Global AI power mapping: Domains, alliances, and rule spaces. EPINOVA Policy Brief Series, EPINOVA-PB-2026-060. Global AI Governance and Policy Research Center, EPINOVA LLC. https://doi.org/10.67037/epinova.pb.2026.060.

Alternate identifiers

SchemeIdentifierDescription
URLhttps://epinova.org/policy-brief-1Official EPINOVA publication page
EPINOVA policy brief numberEPINOVA–2026–PB–60Policy brief number printed in the PDF
File nameGlobal AI Power Mapping Domains, Alliances, and Rule Spaces.pdfSource PDF file name
Short titleGlobal AI Power MappingShort form of the policy brief title
Analytical conceptAI power domainsCore mapping unit used in the policy brief to analyze global AI power beyond model rankings
Analytical conceptRule spacesLegal, regulatory, institutional, operational, and political conditions under which AI systems are trained, deployed, restricted, exempted, or authorized

Related works

RelationIdentifierTypeDescription
IsPartOfhttps://epinova.org/policy-brief-1Publication seriesEPINOVA Policy Brief Series
IsSupplementedByhttps://github.com/EPINOVALLC/EPINOVA-ResearchRepositorySupplementary repository and structural archive
ReferencesWu, S. (2026). Beyond model capability: A system-level framework for AI powerPolicy briefProvides the system-level AI power definition extended by this policy brief.
ReferencesWu, S. (2026). AI capability stratification: A framework for the future distribution of AI powerPolicy briefProvides the stratification framework extended from capability layers to global domains.

References

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